
If I must die let it be a tale
If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze –
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself –
sees the kite,
my kite you made,
flying up above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
~ Refaat Alereer
Refaat Alereer was a Palestinian-born professor of English
at the Islamic University of Gaza.
On 6 December 2023, Alareer was killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza,
along with his brother, brother’s son, sister, and her three children.
Thanks for this. It is deeply moving. I will read it and include the footnote in a Christian service I’m involved in this weekend.