Tower of emotion, river of terror, dread of death, fear of despair,
Yet we sit in the heart of the commotion unable to grasp its ambivalence because we wish everything to be tranquil.
I am walking home alone, and the streets of Haifa are bare, the city is no longer alive.
Instead the city is caged by the awful lingering fire, its inhabitants behind closed doors.
Smoke wafts through the air, and my lungs call out aching.
I think of those who lost their lives.
Did they live them fully?
Were they happy?
Did they encounter daily love, joy, serenity?
I wish for them to finally be freed from this material world.
But it is unfortunate to die a death in flames; a death first limited by oxygen, then heart failure, with foggy eyes and crisp skin.
They will be remembered:
Those brave soldiers,
Those unfortunate souls.
The solidarity of the people of Israel, solidarity of the peoples of the world,
Gratitude can never be fully expressed.
A fire kills but then creates new life.
But to destroy so much, to create such pain…is it worth it?
16 counties have come to our aid and we cannot avoid the obvious sudden unity.
This side of the terror is somewhat beautiful,
Is it not?
But this unity, this call for help, this sudden assistance; it only comes in crisis, in moments of utter destruction.
And then?
Then it fades, back to survival of the fittest, back to nationalism and ego.
When will the world be united permanently?
But that is too much to ask.
The news surrounding does not speak of this tragic event enough; where is awareness on the western front, where is the awareness of the media?
But as I stand on the top of Mount Carmel, Haifa open, spread out before me.
“The fire controls us.”
I am in the heart of it all,
I have witnessed the change in air, the suffering and tears, the red engulfing smoke, the encompassing ashes.
And I refuse to let this tragedy go unnoticed.
We must yell out in warning!
This cannot be our future; we cannot go up in flames.
Gird up your loins,
Speak for those to hear,
Yell out in protest.
Tell them of the fire,
Tell them of the pain.
Tell them of the country left unheard,
Tell them of the people that have gone through so much already.
This is the warning,
This is the moment, the time,
This is the chance.
How many disasters, deaths, victims are needed
Before we stop fading,
Falling back into the rhythm
That calls for war, for ego, for disunity?
Stop this fire,
Stop this fire,
Stop this fire.
