Contested Crossroads

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Israel - Mt. Nitai

Contested Crossroads

By Mark D. Stucky
On a battleground bloodied across millennia,
on a compact land bridge spanning continents and gods…

        Canaanites, Philistines, and Hebrews, oh my!
        Israelites, Judeans, and Samaritans, oh my!
        Babylonians, Persians, and Romans, oh my!
        Jews, Muslims, and Crusaders, oh my!
        Turks, Brits, and Zionists, oh my!
        Palestinians, Israelis, and others, oh my!

So many clashing claims to such a small strip of land.
So much religious, political, and ethnic strife.
So much cursing, contempt, and conflict.
So much destruction, death, and despair.
So many words of unfulfilled prayers.
So little hope for permanent peace?


(See also my poems “Hate Vacuuming” and “Bringing Heaven to Earth.”)

(Photo by Shahar Weinstein on Pexels.com.)

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