By Leni Marlina**
In the silent night, on a wounded land,
Gaza weeps, its blood flows like a red river,
Children without smiles, mothers without hope,
A gray sky, adorned with flashes of sorrow.
Behind the cracked walls, dreams buried in agony,
Mournful voices, breaking the stillness of the night,
Where is love? Where is peace?
They ask, gazing at the silent sky.
Bullets rain like steel showers, shattering hopes,
Houses crumble, leaving behind rubble of memories,
Children's cries, mothers' pleas,
Echo through every corner of the wounded city.
Yet, beneath the ruins, there is an unconquerable strength,
A spirit that burns like an unquenchable fire,
They endure, though the world seems to turn away,
Weaving hope from wounds, creating light from darkness.
Gaza, you are a symbol of indomitable spirit,
Though storms strike, you stand tall,
With uplifted hands, you pray for peace,
In the silence of the night, your prayers rise high.
The moon watches, with a gaze full of sorrow,
Stars weep, drenching the night with tears,
The wind whispers, carrying messages of hope,
That someday, Gaza's sky will be bright again.
We, from afar, hear your lament,
With aching hearts, we join in prayer,
May someday, Gaza's sky be clear again,
And peace flow like a river in the land of prophets.
Padang - Indonesia, June 2022
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*The poem was originally featured in Leni Marlina's private poem collection in July 2021. It was revised in July 2023 before it was published on online media.
**Since 2006, the author has dedicated herself as a lecturer at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. She is also the founder and head of the World Children's Literature Community (WCLC). Additionally, she has been an active member of the Satu Pena West Sumatra Writers Association since 2022, and has been involved with the Victoria Writers in Australia since 2012.
