in Al Mawakeb Al Garhoud PH 2018 (School Poets) Poets of Al Mawakeb School

Childhood and Peace

Two musicians sit, tuning their instruments

Trying to put them in sync

So that they can produce the perfect harmony.

They started to compose

Turning poetry into lyrics

For the world to love,

But alas, it did not last for long.

Fury and hubris tore the musicians apart.

Words of love turned into seething ire,

And the whole world seemed to be set on fire.

The instruments wept, seeing the musicians’ dispute

They couldn’t understand why the musicians fought,

For the instruments knew not of hubris, inferiorities or rage.

Amongst all this, the harmony was forgotten

Notes of music lay idle and directionless on ruled sheets

The instruments lamented the loss

Of music, of harmonies and of hope.

But what of the musicians?

What of the musicians who fought and quarreled and yelled?

Who once produced tunes that warmed the soul, and now face each other coldly?

Oh, how I wish that this were only a dispute between two individuals,

And not the state of the world at large.

About The Poet

Rahaf El Ghosin is a 16-year-old Palestinian girl who likes to read, play sports and occasionally, write. Even as a kid, she always loved to express herself through words. Not so long ago, she went through a stressful phase in my life. Still, hoping that the phase would pass ,she kept working hard, and it did. Her sole purpose behind writing this poem is showing others that hope will always be present; you just need to know where to look.