7 Days in Palestine

Preface In the month of October 2017, I was visiting my brother, Nizar and dear Zulfa Sartawi in Jordan. During my month-long stay there with him and his family, I had the blessed opportunity to commune with poets from many lands. One of the most memorable times was my visit to the poetry café of Mariam Al-Saifi. There, I met poets from Turkey, Jordan, Algiers, Palestine and numerous other countries. Shortly after this congregation of verse, my brothers Nizar, Samih Masoud, Iyad Ahmad Shamasnah and Rabei Hamzeh, along with my sister Mariam facilitated a visit to the Holy Land of Palestine. During that visit, I made the acquaintance of so many wonderful souls, such as Khalid and Aysar Al-Saifi, Ibrahim Alaraj and his lovely daughter Hana –people who expanded my perspectives of the living culture of Palestine and the life they celebrated, endured and suffered. I shall not go into a narrative about the political realities that oppressed the Palestinian people at this time. In this book, you will have the opportunity through my poetry to take this Palestinian journey that I have experienced. There was an abundance of stories told unto me that tugged hard at my heart and my soul. This personal exchange affected my consciousness in such a profound way that I could not ever dismiss this fact. My eyes were opened . . . WIDE! This book of poetry is one that I had to write. My spirit would not let me rest in peace if I had not. I hope that in reading this humble offering you can peek behind the veil and be moved to offer your voice to assist in the global resolution for peace . . . in Palestine and every other land where the common people are oppressed and exploited by the ruling elitists whose agendas no longer serve humanity or any semblance of civility. Bless Up Bill