Weighing the Unbearable: The Tragic Reality of Gaza

This powerful poem by Ershad Khan reflects on the unimaginable suffering endured by families in Gaza, where the weight of human loss is measured in heartbreaking terms.

Through vivid imagery and raw emotion, the poet compares the triviality of personal concerns with the devastating reality of war, where loved ones are reduced to mere kilograms. The poem calls for empathy, conscience, and a global reckoning with the ongoing tragedy in Palestine.

How many kilograms do you weigh? You frown and wonder Why do I have to say!

Fair enough It's your personal matter There are more pressing issues Handed on your platter That you need to keep track of Why worry about weight? You rightfully scoff

How much do they weigh? Your siblings, your spouse Your children... You get upset In the audacity of the inquiry Which is simply insane!

But you wouldn't feel that way And would memorize Exactly how much they weigh

Each of them... Your parents, your siblings Your spouse And your beloved little children Jewel of your eyes Souls of your soul

You would exactly know How many kilograms they weigh

If you were spending Every moment in hellish Gaza Where earth-shattering bombs and White Phosphorous rain down Relentlessly, night and day

'Cause when they 'accidentally' Bomb your building, your familiar neighborhood And turns it upside down for good Somehow you still may survive But your loved ones You won't find them alive...

At least not in one piece Shattered bones, scattered flesh They will be Unbearable sight For any loved one to see Yet that's the 'Gaza Reality.'

Dead family members Were returned Not in body bags But in large trash bags Whose remaining pieces were Gathered, collected And weighed in kilograms

Estimated, based on individual age And the world just moved on No words were uttered Not even an iota of rage!

But I thought I'm not like them So I wanted to weigh Gathering all my rage My sorrow, my empathy My voice, my conscience My piled-up grievance And put them on the scale

It turns out I'm just like them as well!

My eyes were focused To get a reading in kilograms When the needle moved Only a few milligrams!

This haunting image reveals the grim reality often hidden from the world. Human remains in plastic bags, weighed as mere objects, represent the devastating toll of the conflict in Gaza. A powerful reminder of the stories buried by mainstream media.