The poem below was said to have been written by a Palestinian while the horrors unfolding in Gaza were becoming known to the world.
It starts, “After today/ It doesn’t matter anymore/ Whether we are being loved by anyone.”
And it ends, “It doesn’t matter anymore/ If nobody loves us.”
The refrain “It doesn’t matter anymore,” hit me hard. It sounded like a desperate cry: “Are you abandoning us?”
The poem ran in the May issue of Gendaishi Techo poetry magazine, which featured 22 works by 12 Palestinian poets.
This project was planned by Japanese researchers and poets, and the May issue was reprinted twice—the first time this has occurred since the magazine was launched in 1959, according to the editors.
Among the 12 authors are Palestinian diaspora poets and individuals born in the United States.
Kaoru Yamamoto, an associate professor at Keio University who was involved in the translation of the poems into Japanese, noted, “It is already difficult for people in Gaza to communicate with the outside world. Palestinians who are living outside of Gaza are desperate to relay the messages of their compatriots languishing in Gaza.”
Poetry is a valuable tool of communication. Including Palestine, the Arab world has a rich poetic tradition. Since the fifth or sixth century, the tribal philosophies and value systems have been conveyed in verse, according to Yamamoto.
And even today, the importance of poetry grows in times of political and social transition. In fact, during the spread of the Arab Spring pro-democracy movement throughout the Middle East 13 years ago, demonstrators gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to recite poems and sing them to music.
The poem quoted above was written by Samer Abu Hawwash, a Palestinian born in Lebanon.
We must ensure that the words of Palestinians are heard, so that they will no longer have to lament, “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
—The Asahi Shimbun, June 19
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
