We Will Never Forget Refaat
Anna Christina Peterpaul
“If I Must Die, Let it be a Tale” — Poem by Palestinian Poet Refaat Alareer
On December 7, Alareer was killed in northern Gaza by an Israeli airstrike.
Shortly before he died he wrote this poem which has been recited throughout the world. Israel cannot kill the poem nor the legacy of its great writer.
Here it is:
If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze-
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself-
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
and thinks for a moment an angel is therebringing back love
If I must die
Let it bring hope
Let it be a tale.
So here I am spreading his poem like so many have done, so anyone who reads it will be moved and will know that Gazans can create beautiful poetry while under siege by Israel that is bent on their genocide.
The whole world is watching. We must keep sharing.
Anna Christina Peterpaul is an ESL teacher who works with children and adults. She volunteered with Amnesty International for several years.