Israeli security forces at the scene of a deadly shooting attack at the Sarona Market shopping center in Tel Aviv, June 8, 2016. (Gili Yaari/Flash90)
Lee Diamond – It’s Beginning to Sink In
It’s beginning to sink in.
I watched it live as it was occurring
I was already in bed and intending to watch a movie
But as I changed channels I saw people running in all directions
Saw the police running and chasing
Tackling a terrorist
Stretchers and ambulances and sirens
Shrieking
—and blue lights in the air
Interviews with witnesses
Hysteria
Mostly young people out on the town on a lovely summer evening
Carefree and caring
No thoughts of stray bullets
In their direction
No thoughts of hatred or prejudice
Or occupation
Why not include everyone
Jews; Palestinians
Old and young
Simple honest love of life
But it exploded in our
Unsuspecting And naive faces
Naiveté
Or
Innocence or selfishness
Or heads buried in the sand?
And we were and are wounded deeply
But temporarily back to our senses
Now we must mourn
It’s “shiva” time
All of us need to comfort
And to be comforted
But it’s our nature
Or is it human nature?
To forget
To go back to Sarona
And to live our freedom as a beautiful nation
Yet Stained with our blood and tears.
We can’t forget
But we must
lead photo: Tel Aviv’s Sarona complex. (photo credit:MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
