Oblivion in Gaza

You hold your dead child,
remembering the tender holding of your new-born.
You cannot weep but only look down
blankly, unseeing.
Numbed pain does its work
like anaesthetic holding off the anguish
of a pain too hard to bear.

You become inhuman
not in the way of the agents of death,
who deny you both food and shelter,
warmth and love,
but more because in the face of despair and agony,
it is impossible to be that child of God
you were made to be.

But you are not alone.
We too are dehumanized
as we witness this callous denial and misuse of humanity
– a humanity we are supposed to share.

And when we do nothing?
What is our answer
to the heart of God who made and loves us?
What is our response,
as we look on the child, cradled in your arms?

[Mr G. 23^rd July 2025]

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