What if we say we mean it when we say Peace on Earth?
Let us spread the sounds of peace and connection and hope.
Here is Palestinian American poet and political activist Suheir Hammadd's beautiful poem What I Will
I will not
dance to your war
drum. I will
not lend my soul nor
my bones to your war
drum, I will
not dance to your
beating. I know that beat.
It is lifeless. I know
intimately that skin
you are hitting. It
was alie once
hunted stolen
stretched. I will
not dance to your drummed
up war. I will not pop
spin break for you. I
will not hate for you or
een hate you. I will
not kill for you. Especially
I will not die
for you. I will not mourn
the dead with murder nor
cuicide. I will not side
with you nor dance to bombs
because everyone else is
dancing. Everyone can be
wrong. Life is a right not
collateral or casual. I
will not forget where
I come from, I
will craft my own drum. Gather my beloved
near and our chanting
will be dancing. Our
humming will be drumming. I
will not e played. I
will not lnd my name
nor my rhythm to your
beat. I will dance
and resist and dance and
persist and dance. This heartbeat is louder than
death. Your war drum ain't
louder than this breath.
