Judih
absolute control
fallacy of human mind
release into blur*
petals of her art
scattered on kibbutz Nir Oz
and the whole damned world
murdered by Hamas
for no crime but her people
and her love of peace
hate begets more hate
vengeance begets more vengeance
human nature’s scourge
her gentle voice snuffed
could her haikus ease the pain?
is hope chimera?
* The first stanza of this quintet is a haiku by poet Judih Weinstein Haggai, murdered 7 October 2023. Photo: The Times of Israel