Alternative Scenario

After the horrors of October 7
the good people of Palestine rushed
to the sides of stricken Israelis

Tending to the wounded,
mourning the dead,
comforting survivors

They kept vigil, praying & weeping
delivering truckloads of flowers
serving trays, by day, of warm meals & sweets

Palestinian families flooded the streets
en masse, protesting: Not in our Names
demanding the return of hostages

Recognizing the great need, they gifted
what they, too, longed for: mercy, solace, solidarity—
and the world, witnessing, never forgot ...

Helpless, Hamas eventually surrendered,
the Israeli government, in turn, relented
and walls in hearts crumbled, then tumbled.