So when the bombs starting falling
Samir and Sami made a pact: they would
Stick together at whatever the cost; they
Kissed their cousin Mariam when she
Was slain at Jabalia, and they comforted
The injured when Shifa drowned into
The dark; they helped Auntie get away
When she tripped amidst the maelstrom,
And the dreaded white phosphorus was
Raining from the stars; they comforted the
Little ones as they headed south towards
Khan Yunis, and they didn’t even panic
When their apartment was attacked, with the
Armies of Hell encroaching and death whirl-
Ing all around them. And the love that they
Had for one another was so great that the
Zionists didn’t have enough weapons to blot
It out with all their killing, hatred, and lies
• This poem was inspired by the true story of Mohammed Nasir and his cat Lulu. You can meet them here.