By Hafiza Ibrahim

A day from my past 01/9//1982

At the time, that pretty girl was supposed to watch for Tooth Fairies
Picking up their falling teeth;
I saw your body falls down the garden path…

Daddy,
Why did you hide us that day up the Sellar?
Daddy, why you was taken by a fright?
And opened the door to the Israeli soldier?
How many times you had warned me not to that?
Especially, when they come to invade our neighbourhood at night?
…
After the big bang had wrapped my ears,
And the smell of the gun powder scratched my nose,

I cried so bad… I screamed so loud: “I want my dad!”
I cried and cried, till I wet the bed that night…
I cried and prayed for you to come back,
But, you never did,
You never showed up!
…
I looked for you in the bedroom,
In the hallway,
And, in my mother’s eyes;
… You wasn’t there…
Daddy!
I asked for you so many times…
But my mum said:
“You have gone to a palace called heaven!”
Daddy, how could you lie?!
You said before, I am your heaven,
And the apple of your eye!
What made you lie?
You used to tell me that, you will be always there for me.
But, when I screamed your name you never showed up,
You never come back…
…
Daddy,
I wish you are here now, yelling at me,
Swiping my face with your soft hands
And save me from the pain that is digging inside my heart

And protect me from the unbearable flashbacks
Of remembering you innocently smiling
While your body fall down the slabs
Out there on the garden path!

1/9/2019