by Gene Novogrodsky

For Brenda N. Riojas

Black curls.
A cousin’s granddaughter,
A little girl, identification Israeli.

And as she grows,
She will hear hate of
Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims,
Hate severe,
Hate in jokes,
Or, might she hear words of
Commonality?

I don’t have a cousin
Whose granddaughter is Palestinian
And has black curls.

If I did, I know,
She would hear hate of Israelis, Jews,
Hate severe,
Hate in jokes,
Or, might she hear words of
Commonality?

For blame,
Culpablitiy,
Take history books,
Government books,
Economics books,
Sociology and psychology books
With hundreds and hundreds more
Versions why:

The little girls with
The black curls
Will never be friends,
And might even kill each other,
And if not, their jokes,
Separate, will be the impetus
For more missiles,
More suicide bombers ….