A poem about a Palestinian child racing on his bike with an armed Israeli soldier riding an F-16 and a military tank! The poem depicts the tragic gap and contradiction between human innocence and the brutality, criminality, and terrorism of military occupation. It challenges the hegemonic narrative and dominance of the occupier in international media and fora and celebrates the power and inevitable victory of love and humanity over barbarism.

My Fast Bike!

By  Saed Jamal Abu-Hijleh

Oct 31, 2023

I rode my bike,
He rode his F-16 and tank,
I sang my song,
He shot me and gained his rank.

I am the terrorist, he is the victim!
I am a martyr now and did not go to school,
He is the civilized one and I am the fool.

No matter what I say, his story is right,
Everyday he tells you “terrorism we fight.”
My tree uprooted, my house blown,
My land confiscated, my grandmothers moan…
I am imprisoned, they cut my flesh, they break my bone…

Do not kill me today I have a better option,
Let us race and see who is faster,
The one who wins will become master,
You on your tank I on the bike,
He who reaches first to the Land of Love,
Will tell the story for the coming generation.

Title

Social Text Journal

Publisher

Duke University Press

Publisher Country

United States of America

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

None

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

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Year

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Pages

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