Holding My Breath
I’m holding my breath.
I’ve been holding it for months,
waiting for a ceasefire to be signed
as that would mean a stop
to the unending bombing to death
of men, women, and children,
asleep in their beds.
When it was first announced I felt hope…
But… that night the bombing continued
as if to get in a few last gut punches.
Why has the bombing continued
if there is really a sincere desire to stop?
Why must children, wrapped in their flag,
happily exhausted from celebrating
the good news, the end of the violence,
the end of the bloody war
be found the next morning,
in the rubble of what was their home,
still wrapped in that same flag,
no longer a symbol of pride and hope and joy,
but a shroud for yet another small senseless death?
Karima Hoisan
Jan.18, 2025
Costa Rica
Footnote: I am shaking as I write this..
Digital Rabbit Hole 
So well said. It’s incomprehensible.
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Thank you Dale…it is.
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😢 👁️🔥👁️ 😥
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😞❤️🩹🙏🤗♥️💕
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I agree Karima it is heartbreaking 😪
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Thank you Maggie…it really is. Let’s see what happens after tomorrow. 🙏
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My pleasure Karima
We can hold hope my friend 🙏
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Oh yes and 🙏
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Yes Karima my friend 🙏🙏
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Lamentablemente el acuerdo que entra en vigencia dentro de unas horas, de seguro que va ser letra muerta y por cualquier pretexto, los israelitas seguirán bombardeando dejando esa secuela de muertos. Nadie entiende semejantes crímenes de lesa humanidad. Comprendo tu dolor Karima.
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Gracias Manuel y tu expresas el miedo de muchos de nosotros, pero ojalá esta tregua dura más que algunas pretiendan. Es una situación tan terrible…
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Nadie quiere ver como se cuentan los muertos nuevamente. Ojalá sea como tú dices.
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No soy tan optomista Manuel, sino realista, sinembargo pido que el mundo entero demuestra más decisión, compassion para los innocentes, los niños…..y hacer algo que no se vuelve al combate tan facíl y con inpunidad..como has sido hasta el momento.
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Heartbreaking to all decent people.
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Thank you Sadje…let’s see if this moment of respite lasts inshAllah.
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I do pray for peace in Gaza. May Allah SWT protect the innocent people
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Ameen 🙏
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Karima, Your words touch and make the desperate situation in which many people have to live visible in an impressive way. In the midst of all this darkness, the hope for peace remains a ray of light that unites us all. May a time soon come when the horrors of wars and conflicts will end and people will be able to live in safety and tranquility.
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Thank you so much Rosie for your clear comment…Yes, we must not lose hope and people like you who feel this way and express are a powerful way to let the world know..we believe this injustice can not continue. I feel the same Rosie as you, may the day come that they can all live freely in safety and in peace.
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I hope this might last and lead to something more constructive for the people of Palestine
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Thank you David and this is what I pray for too.
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I am cautiously hopeful too.
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Thanks Linda…so many of us are 🤗
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Both sides have to abide by the agreements, not just one. We all want peace in the world.
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yes….of course
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Gorgeous piece! What feeling and truth. ❤
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Thank you Layla…I was feeling it deeply when I wrote it.
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It breaks my heart what’s going on in the world. I wish this mindless killing would just end.
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Killing is happening all over the world. Yes, the killing must stop, but why does it continue? It is something we must at the very least, express our misery, our pain, our sadness, and the killing of the innocent, surely. It matters not where it is happening, seeing the youth of the world dying for no good reason as writers and poets if we are fearful of speaking out as Karima is doing here, can we dare to call ourselves writers? This piece tells of the hope and then sorrow that people did not choose the right path. Currently, there are 56 Countries in serious conflict, according to the Global Peace Index Map, and so many more are fighting outside their own Country’s borders. This is more fighting since World War II. Thank you, Karima, for giving us this visual we need to thank. Is it that there is an enormous unbalance in the world – Is it also not true that the poor Countries have always suffered the most? We also do a great injustice to our earth and then cry and wonder why we have such horrible situations going on in our world. Perhaps we should all look inside, and those who believe in prayer should pray. See Link: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/maps/#/ Thank you Karima for your beautiful heartfelt piece and also for sharing it and what I know to be your concern and desire for peace and the stopping of death.
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I’m with you, Karima. It’s so unfortunate to see this happening again. Let better senses prevail for overall peace and tranquility 🙏💐🙏
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