Memorial Day was a day to remember all the lives lost protecting Israel so its people may live happily and freely. It was truly saddening to hear the stories of friends or family members that died while fighting in the army. Everyone wants peace, no one wants to send their young off to war. This particular Memorial Day was even more moving this year due to the war over last Summer. In a country about the size of New Jersey, to have around 60 young ones die protecting it is hard to hear. Every life is precious, but this sadness is all that violence breeds. Remembering that all Israeli’s have served in its army reminded me why they are such a beautiful people, they have something to fight for, they have people to protect and cherish every moment of life because of it. This was a poem I wrote in honor of the lives lost last Summer, heroes fighting so we may live without fear or trepidation, so we may live fully:
Child of Israel
There goes my hero, through hellfire and bomb rain, through dust and shards. He stood with words unsaid, he stood for days yet done. His blood yet shed, he stands for one. One people, one peace, one world, us acknowledged. Our value seen, our value known. There goes my hero, un-alone, backed by us. Through hellfire and bomb rain, he stands for peace and love. Through dust and shards, he stands for God above. There goes our hero, he is strong but he is young. And though we fight, it is we who have won. For our children laugh and our children love and no day will come where they’ve loved enough. There goes my hero, afraid though untouched, through the barrage of blood he stands for us. Our people, our love, a nation of heroes, each and every one. There goes my hero, he is us all, each one.
-Dimitrios Lowe
On a lighter note, here is a picture of us eating dinner at a special desert restaurant; we were eating in a tent with our hands eating delicious traditional food.