I wish I could watch the news without crying.
By Kat Abdallah
Identifies with the nation of Palestine
I’ve watched the same clip of a little girl—
she’s maybe five—
on loop, repeating again and again
I’m Jena.
I’m Palestinian and British.
I think about her every day,
the angel baby I saw on Instagram
whose childhood ended so early.
She has dark circles around her eyes
and her hair is in a messy ponytail.
She pleads for her life,
clasping her hands to her chest.
We have to worry about
the house shaking.
We hear loud noises
and get scared.
She’s wearing a t-shirt that says
“Simple and Nice”
with a unicorn and hearts on it.
She chews her bottom lip with baby teeth.
We are children
and it’s not right to do that to children.
Kat Abdallah (she/her) is a mixed-race Palestinian-American writer, educator, and advocate for refugees. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kat is currently pursuing a PhD in creative writing from Oklahoma State University. Her work has appeared in Adi Magazine, Rising Phoenix Review, The Los Angeles Review, and Welter. In her free time, Kat is a storyteller in community theater and competitive cosplay.