‘Tell Your Children About Us,’ Doctor In Gaza Writes
By Ali Altawil, M.D.
Tell your children about us,
That we cherish life
far more than our enemy cherishes our demise,
That we dance with joy
when a certain song graces our ears,
That we delight in raising cats,
That our souls glow
in the presence of jasmine flowers,
And
That we walk barefoot in the rain,
So the memory of the land may cleanse us,
Returning us to the place where we belong,
Scented with its sacred soil.
Ali Altawil, M.D. is a general practitioner and writer bearing witness to and shedding light on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, capturing lived realities with a poetic voice. He works at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the heart of Gaza, where he and his family endure the same struggles as the people he serves. Through his profession and his words, he resists oppression and holds on to the hope of a better tomorrow. If you’d like to support his work, visit his GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-save-my-life-and-pursue-my-education.