'Unsilenced Poems for Palestine'

Author: John P. Portelli

Published Horizons / 2025

Pages: 174

Unsilenced Poems for Palestine is a collection of poems from the heart of those who cannot be silent in the face of atrocities that remind them of darker times in history. These 50 poets hail from far and near yet all share a strong sense of outrage at the appalling scenes that have become so common on our screens. Professor John P. Portelli, as editor, brings together diverse voices who seek to make the world listen to the anguished cries of Palestinian babies, children, women and men.

As I throw away leftover food that I know nobody will eat here, I am sickened by the pictures of those beautiful children, pushing and shoving, waving their empty containers, hoping that somebody will scoop in some pasta, lentils, rice, anything to keep the wolves at bay. I recognise the futility and helplessness of my thoughts but cannot suppress my tears because we are not built to take this injustice without screaming at the world to voice our rage, despair, humiliation and helplessness.

This, and much more, is encapsulated in Unsilenced Poems for Palestine. The longing for an end to inherited injustices that will linger in the few children who survive this vicious genocide is palpable throughout. These children will inherit rubble and rage that is now part of their very identity.

The subtext of this collection is ultimately humanity. Time and again, each poem asks: can the world witness images that horrify, the "luxury to have the bag hold one whole body" yet remain seemingly unmoved? The link to Nazi Germany is reiterated, "Just, like the Jews, the walls built to crush us, can barely contain us".

The helplessness is tangible, but so is the resilience, the hope. Amid the horror of "stark white shrouds, surprisingly unblemished by dust or blood" there is an unrelenting will to survive, for Gaza to rise out of the rubble, against all odds.

A sense of the unbreakable human spirit is present throughout this collection. While the atrocities we witness on our screens daily destroy our souls, the human spirit soars at the image of one orphaned little girl carrying her baby sister for miles on end seeking some shelter of sorts.

While the stark reality of the ongoing genocide is lamented, the double standards of the media and the mighty of this world is lambasted by the voices of poets who refuse to accept that might is right, that impunity rules, ultimately that evil is allowed to flourish. This elegy will stand its ground and refuse to be trampled into the dust. Art will triumph, as it has always done!

All proceeds from the sale of this collection will be donated to Gaza.

Etta Mizzi is a former lecturer of English at Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School, Malta