# Canto for David

*Sefirah*

By [Compossible - that which can live together](https://paragraph.com/@compossible) · 2025-01-13

israel, palestine, poetry, gaza, canto

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I have collected my 10 poems about Israel and Palestine and published them as ebooks on Amazon, Apple and Google books - links below.

From the introduction:
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> "Whatever is hateful and distasteful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary. Go learn."
> 
> ― Hillel the Elder, Talmud, Shabbath 31a (Judaism's Golden Rule)

Ten poems to remind us to never let our souls become hostage to whatever is hateful in this world.

This Canto is dedicated to all the Palestinian, Jewish and Israeli people that struggle for justice and that choose to **never forget** all victims of crimes against humanity and the common humanity in us all.

_Mantle_ is dedicated to Gideon Levy.

_Korban_ is dedicated to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907 Poland – 1972 US)

For the dispossessed, the suffering and the weak: remember that they need our voices of support now as ever they have.

This Canto aims to reminds us of the echoes and reflections that make up history – its cyclical nature where abused becomes abuser. Now a new tribe takes the historic place of the Jews as the undefended vilified other:

> "Condemned as wandering Jews
> 
> to roam the world and meditate
> 
> upon their unforgivable sin
> 
> and the vengeance of victims."
> 
> ― Yahia Lababidi, Palestine Wail

No one can dehumanise another without losing something of their own soul. Good parents and leaders know this.

Sadly many of the leaders in Israel, the United States of America and Gaza are extremists, that see the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians as merely tools for their political ends (aka terrorists).

We have seen this story before and ultimately dehumanisation and destruction of a people ends up destroying the obvious victims and then the villains (and those that support them actively or in their passivity).

Peace to all, especially those that seek it.

* * *

**Links to the books:**
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_Kindle_

[

Canto for David: Sefirah
------------------------

Ten poems about Israel and Palestine. These poems remind us to never let our souls become hostage to whatever is hateful in this world. This Canto is dedicated to all the Palestinian people that struggle for justice and to all the Jewish and Israeli people that choose never to forget the common...

https://www.amazon.co.uk

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/a6b2a1a8f69294622410c09256fc140d.jpg)

](https://amzn.eu/d/3RM5UdV)

_Apple_

[

‎Canto for David
----------------

Ten poems intended to remind us to not let our souls become hostage to whatever is hateful in this world. This Canto is dedicated to all the Palestinian, Jewish and Israeli people that struggle for justice and choose to never forget the common humanity in all of us.

https://books.apple.com

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/c450d09b44341e09b80f2b56ade24f22.png)

](http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6740479200)

_Google Books (pdf)_

[

Canto for David - Sefirah
-------------------------

Ten poems to remind us to never let our souls become hostage to whatever is hateful in this world. This Canto is dedicated to all the Palestinian people that struggle for justice and to all the Jewish and Israeli people that choose never to forget the common humanity in all of us.

https://books.google.com.gi

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/2dfb339ca72dcfab82a75b7aa3eb7106.jpg)

](https://books.google.com.gi/books?id=AAc-EQAAQBAJ)

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*Originally published on [Compossible - that which can live together](https://paragraph.com/@compossible/canto-for-david)*