Museum exhibition poster, Barcelona, Spain.
The Night There
"The night there is pitch black...and roses are fewer.
The road will fork even more than before. The valley will split open
and the slope will collapse on us. The wound opens wide. Relatives flee.
Victims kill each other to erase their victims' sight and find relief.
We'll know more than we knew before. One abyss will lead to another.
When we embrace an idea worshipped by tribes and branded on their vanishing bodies,
we'll witness emperors engraving their names on grains of wheat to show their power.
Aren't we changed? Men follow the teachings of the sword
and spill blood. Let the sand pile up..."
Poem from the book Unfortunately, It Was Paradise, by Mahmoud Darwish.
News updates:
Tens of thousands in London protest Gaza offensive
Bush denounces Hamas terror (but gives the Israelis a free pass).
Israel says ground invasion of Gaza is underway
Israeli ground forces push into Gaza
Attacking civilians is a war crime
Israel begins Gaza ground offensive
Scroll down the page for a second post today.
So true, my compassionate friend. Thanks for the link. xoxox
Posted by: Tara Bradford | 04 January 2009 at 18:57
Didn't George W. Bush say that same thing, trying to explain away his abysml record? When it comes to situations like Gaza and the Middle East, I think we will not be judged kindly. It is appalling that so many innocent people are dying needlessly.
Posted by: Tara Bradford | 04 January 2009 at 18:57
Good points, Allegra. Thanks for your comments.
Posted by: Tara Bradford | 04 January 2009 at 18:57
Lucky you to be photographing anything to do with Darwish's work. I haven't read those articles; am off to do so now. Thanks for the links!
Posted by: Tara Bradford | 04 January 2009 at 18:57
This foolishness is devastating me, Tara. Good to find you blogging on it.
I was in Berlin last year, photographing a celebration of Mahmoud Darwish's work.
Have you read Gideon Levy's latest article in Haaretz, and Yossi Sarid wrote something interesting too http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052057.html
Posted by: Di | 04 January 2009 at 12:38
This is a good question Tara to be answered by historians...
Posted by: Philip | 04 January 2009 at 12:38
Huge protest here in Toronto today.
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090103/090103_israel/20090103/?hub=CP24Home
Keep the homeless in your thoughts and prayers. Everyone needs a place to call home.
xo
Posted by: Gillian daSilva | 04 January 2009 at 12:38
The world needs our thoughts and prayers, that's for sure! Especially at the moment, in Gaza - so many families forced out of their homes, with no place to go, as they're not allowed to cross the borders into Egypt or the West Bank. A disaster is unfolding, right before our eyes.
Posted by: Tara Bradford | 04 January 2009 at 01:01
No, history won't. Then again remember, history is written by the victors. One cannot help but to wonder who are the victors here? Only a couple of weeks more and hopefully our country will return to being the honorable standard that it once was. Now, we spend our time spreading the blame instead of peace. Sad times we live in. It is hard to be forgiven in the face of so much hatred and injustice. "The fool neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget." I feel a little less wiser today.
Posted by: Allegra | 04 January 2009 at 00:51
I am keeping our world, in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for this.
Posted by: Christina | 04 January 2009 at 00:51