In a city married by the flames of war,
the lights of Jabalia Camp go on
as an unexpected longing hammer the entries
and extreme joy creeps through the windows to nestle
in the hearts of the camp’s children.

The unforeseen luminosity of the camp
may not disturb the rest of the elders,
the young lover bathing in the light
or mothers cooking dinner under the limelight.

Those lights bring to mind
the yearning to the young manhood
And the chaos of our adulthood.

Only in the eyes of the camp’s inhabitants
Once the camp shimmers with sparkles
It becomes a city of immense joy —
unlike any other city …
it’s always good to see the lights go on
in a city that only flashes
by bombs.

Mohammed Moussa founded the Gaza Poet’s Society — see gazapoetssociety on Facebook — and grew up in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. He is currently in exile in Turkey. This poem is taken from Salted Wounds (Drunk Muse Press) 2023. On November 20 2023 his family; his mother, father, two sisters and their grandsons were killed in Jabalia camp. His father was a driver for the Red Crescent.
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