SABAWI: Where time stood still December 31, 2009
Gaza one year after operation cast lead
Donât tell us a year has passedâŚ
We donât measure our lives by this calendar
Time has stood still for us so long ago
Punctuated only by loss and grief
And the in between moments of quiet reprieve
We donât count on Christmas, nor Eid for cheer
We donât fool ourselves with âhappy new yearâ
No occasion is ever taken for granted,
When it comes to tomorrow, there are no certainties
Our yesterday is our today
Time is frozen here
And one calendar year
Will never contain our lives,
Our collective misery,
Our yearning for humanity
Donât tell us a year has passed
Our clock stopped ticking when justice collapsed
Eclipsed by decades of repression
Hush⌠donât speak of time
We have endured the absence of time
We donât measure our lives by days like you
We measure our lives by the number of embraces
Our worth by a loverâs heartbeat
Our existence by our persistence
So, donât tell us a year has passedâŚ.
Samah Sabawi is a  writer playwright and poet.   She was born in Gaza and is currently residing in Melbourne Australia.
Thank You.