Akashma Online News

Dedicated to the Arab Jewish Palestinians of Jerusalem,
To the Arab Muslim Palestinians,
To the Arab Christian Palestinians—
To all of you who have been dispossessed of your homes, your lands.
To those of you imprisoned, those exiled,
To those still fighting in Israeli courts to keep what is rightfully yours—
Your homes, your memories, your future.
To those of you harassed by settlers and occupying forces,
To those who died waiting for your liberation,
And to those who died fighting for it.
To the martyrs,
And to those not yet born.
This is for you, my Jerusalem.

You, great city within the motherland,
You stand with patience—silent, still—
With pain… with sorrow… with tears in your eyes.
Oh, Jerusalem, my other half of Palestine.

You, land of prophets, of prayer and praise,
Cradle of peace, of unyielding grace.
You are the home of the brave, who never kneel—
You are my city… my holy seal.
Oh, Jerusalem, my other half of Palestine.

The tears of the sons have salted your sea,
The blood of martyrs waters your trees.
Their prayers rise up, in tangled cries,
A symphony beneath your skies.
Oh, Jerusalem, my other half of Palestine.

Proud Jerusalem, you withstand time,
Your story inked in courage and grime.
Your dreams and mine—they are the same,
They soar through skies in freedom’s name.
Oh, Jerusalem, my other half of Palestine.

Tonight you wear a noble gown,
Woven in hues no siege can drown.
You shimmer with the dawn’s new light,
With dreams of justice, peace, and rights.
Oh, Jerusalem, my other half of Palestine.

And when the warrior lifts his horn,
Your victory will rise with the morning born.
We will count each step, each inch regained,
And know your blood was not spilled in vain.
Stand tall upon your sacred line,
Oh, Jerusalem, my heart, my Palestine.

By Marivel Guzman
Oh, Jerusalem, My other Half of Palestine
@Sept 24, 2012

Illustration from “A Tale of Jerusalem,” by Edgar Allan Poe

Three major religious groups all claimed Jerusalem, in the land of Palestine, as their holy city.
Christians, Jews, Muslims

Palestine Map 1719-Terra Santa