What if?

What if I was shot today?
my lifeless body,
my blood stained keffiyeh,
my face,
lit up your screen.
Would you remember how tight my hugs were?

What if my house was bombed today?
A concrete and steel heap of what it used to be,
would you remember our laughter echoing in its rooms?
The dinners we had?
The late nights of cigarettes, cards and tea?
Would you recognize my arm sticking out from underneath the rubble?

What if you see my child’s face covered in ash, dried blood, and debris?
Would you run towards him with your arms wide open?
Would her uncontrollable sobbing in your embrace bring memories of her giggles as she hopscotched her afternoon away on the sidewalk?
Would you recognize the tatreez (𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘺) of my wife’s thoub (𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴)?

What if we run out of what ifs,
will I then cease to be a number,
will I then have a name and a face?

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As of the morning of 12/14/2023 Israel has killed 18,608 Palestinians since October 7