PerfectlyWritePoetry: Then

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Then – and Now

(“Generation after generation reads the same words and says: ‘Was that then or is that now’?” – Rabbi Lord Sacks)

Then and Now

And it came to pass that Fayez

Father of Hamdia heeded the deeds

of our shared forebear, Avraham

and welcomed weary strangers inside his home.

“’Jew, Jew, Jew! We’ll stone you!

Burn you! Destroy you’!”

As all around a baying mob of

neighbours threw rocks and fire,

scorching holy Hebrew prayer boxes

with searing words of hate, Fayez,

a Palestinian Arab, gave five angels

from the States water, time, refuge

so they may learn that ‘Allah’ – also

named ‘Hashem’ – is great and would

help them find their way to where

our noble patriarchs lie at their eternal rest.

“I’m no hero”, said unassuming Fayez.

“I did what needed to be done. We are

all human first and foremost. That's how

everyone should behave. We have no problems

with the Israelis and we don't want to have any."

But even as he proffered kindness,

offered Jews universal words of comfort

beneath his roof, the hate outside did not abate.

“‘Jew, Jew, Jew’! We’ll stone you!

Burn you! Destroy you’!”

Dear God of all our warring nations,

please keep Fayez Father of Hamdia quite safe!