In this series, I will share poems by others centred around the tragedy of war. They may be uncomfortable, and even heartbreaking, but one of the functions of art is to make us feel. And in these dark times, feeling for others is perhaps the best way to inspire us to take action – whether that be in prayer, in words, in protest, or however else we can make a positive difference to the situation.
Today’s poem is by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha – an Arab American poet, essayist, and translator. Visit her website at https://www.lenakhalaftuffaha.com.
slip-sliding away..... 
This poem so perfectly captures the terror and panic of war, how we utterly transform ourselves into monsters and victims…I imagine it was much the same in the kibbutzes and gatherings on October 7, or in the London blitzes, Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, the path of Genghis Khan, the Nazis, the Romans…or a single angry man with an assault rifle. As a species, we do not seem able to heal our impulse to destroy the gifts of existence and connection, or collectively gravitate towards the infinite potential of Love.
I’m very reluctant to generalise this as a species thing, because I believe that the vast, vast majority of humanity is against such violence – even when it’s against people they believe are “enemies”. Wars are often driven by the powerful minorities serving their own selfish agendas, and they manipulate the masses into supporting the causes…but even through this, humans still have a natural tendency to not want to do physical harm to others. We can talk all the trash in the world, but put someone in a position to physically harm another, and I believe only a minority of people would go through with violence. It’s just sad that those wanting peace and unity are under represented in “public opinion” as reported by an agenda driven media. Look at how many are turning out pleading for ceasefire. Half a million in London last weekend. Grand Central station, and so many other places. I truly believe that more people want peace than war…