Culture, Israel, Politics

What keeps me hopeful? – Third Entry for JStreet contest with Jewschool

j_street_largeEditor’s Note: The following is the third winner of four recent entries by individual who will be heading to Washington, D.C. at the end of the month for JStreet’s first national conference: Driving Change, Securing Peace. The following post was written by Moriel Rothman. Yashar Koach – and see you in DC! To everyone else: there’s still time to sign up – and if you can’t come, check back here for live blogging by our contest winners as well as some of our favorite Jewschoolers.
What keeps me hopeful?
Death ringing in deepest chasms of my ear.
What keeps me hopeful?
Each failure tapping
clawing
scratching
at that window in my chest.
What keeps me hopeful?
Scoff after
scoff after
heart wrenching
scoff:
An end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
What keeps me hopeful?
Hopelessness.
Why not give up?
The eyes,
ho, oh.
the eyes.
imploring hating pleading judging looking
Why not give up?
Privilege. Strength? American oxygen.
if my voice is silenced.
If my voice does not exist.
IF my voice is not real, then
Why not give up?
Ha. Ah.
Give up. Give up.
And then what?
I am hopeful because I have no other choice. I cannot give up because
peace is what I am.

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