Sixty Years On...

By Aida Hasan

Sixty years on
against the occupiers wishes
We Exist
sons and daughters of Ramleh,
Haifa, Nasira
Jimzu, Imwas, Deir Yassin
We Remember
the villages destroyed
towns stripped of Arab names
manufactured,
renamed,
disguised
our homes filled with Palestinian memories
painted over with foreign colors
a bridal shop in Ramleh
selling strangers their happy dreams
in my house
on our landthe house
great grandfather Ali built
We Continue
We will always continue
Because the land longs for us
Because we long for the land
Because home is a Right
Because it is our Right
BecauseWe Exist
Because WeRemember
We will not stop
Until Return.