Born from a blend of distant lands,
My roots entwined in war-torn hands.
Grandparents fled through smoke and fear,
A new life promised—peace was near.
A land returned, though scarred by past,
But how long does history truly last?
How far must we reach back to claim,
Before our truth becomes our shame?

Once hate wore a Nazi’s face,
Now “terrorist” has taken its place.
Swapped one form of terror for another,
Still, we stand by each other—sister, brother.
POC once bound by chains and pain,
The world is learning, but the scars remain.
Hatred passed down like heirlooms old,
A shared religion makes the innocent bold,
Targets for words that cut and sting,
Their weight more than their speakers bring.

Born not to fit the mold they see,
I blend, I pass, invisibly.
But with this cloak comes deeper wounds,
As words they whisper become my tomb.
“Jews with all the money,” they say,
Not knowing it’s me they betray.
“Israelis are scum,” it echoes still,
But my heart, it breaks against my will.

I’ve watched a land I do not know,
But feel as home, through bomb’s harsh glow.
For years the rockets filled the sky,
But no one asked how many die
Inside, from living on defense,
The cost of constant vigilance.
We stopped the bombs, but still they came,
In silence, still, they fed the flame.
Though headlines never spoke our fears,
We lived this war for countless years.
And every day, we braced for more,
Until one day, October’s roar—
Defenses down, we didn’t see

The brutal loss of dignity.
Children, mothers, fathers slain,
A nightmare etched in blood and pain.
No mercy shown, no time to flee,
And silence echoed endlessly.

I stood for causes not my own,
When hatred rose, I wasn’t alone.
For every race, I spoke with pride,
Yet now, my cries are pushed aside.
When this day came, the silence grew,
And all the voices that I knew,
Were absent when I needed most,
Left only with this heavy ghost.

Private messages from friends I got,
Not willing to show public support.
Fear of vengeance to themselves,
Of speaking their views, they stay silent, caught.

I long for a day when I can be,
Jewish and proud, openly.
To wear my star without a glance,
Or fear that I may miss my chance
To live without the threat of hate,
To speak and walk, not hesitate.
But understand this: I want no death,
For innocence to draw its breath.
I know they too are hostages,
Bound by the same dark forces as
The enemy that twists their lives,
And keeps this cycle still alive.
Yet hiding them, protecting lies,
Makes peace and truth impossible to prize.
If we do nothing, it never ends—
The attacks continue, the world pretends.
So tell me, please, what is the way?
How do we make this hatred sway?

My cousin speaks for Israel’s cry,
And lives in silence, fearing why
His truth, though quiet, stirs such wrath,
While others walk a clearer path.
The world stands blind to double standards,
Yet whispers still—they’ve heard, they’ve heard.

The enemy is not a faith,
It’s not a land, nor a mistaken race.
The enemy is hate itself,
Stored away on every shelf.
If I could change the world with light,
I’d fill it all with kindness bright.
To see the day my children walk
With stars of gold and heads held high,
No more afraid to speak or try.

My life was spent with friends of all backgrounds,
We played and laughed when hate wasn’t around.
The peace in daily life can exist
For those who don’t resist or twist.
I love all my friends, no matter where you’re from—
What matters is what your heart’s made of, not where you’ve begun.

This story may not be your own,
But in its truth, my heart has grown.
I share it now so you might see
The weight of hate, the cost of “free.”
If prejudice stands tall today,
Then peace is still so far away.