At the Dead Sea Spa sit groups of Arab women
wearing dark colors and head scarves,
their bodies hidden, ungraceful, fat,
as if they never knew the sensation of sweet sensuality
They watch the others, like groups of hawks, hunched together,
opening to a new reality .
I do not know where they come from, Jerusalem or Jordan or the West Bank?
They are not much different from the Jewish orthodox women, also dressed in heavy clothes, also afraid of their beauty.
When they enter the water in their bathing suits they unleash secrets that were under their skin.
An expression of slight embarrassment appears on their faces.
Then they leave, like flocks of black birds.
Author Bio:
Dana Negev grew up in Israel and has been a peace worker for many years. She brought together Israelis and Palestinians in a poetry show in Tel Aviv (2005) and in Berkeley, Calif. (2013). Her poems appeared in the anthology "Before We Have Nowhere to Stand" by Lost Horse Press . Dana was a member of Women in Black for many years, seeing the role of women as essential in speaking out against injustice. She is also a performance poet. She lives in New Mexico, works in schools and is
Passionate about speaking against racism and oppression. She hopes that art and poetry can help touch people in this way.
wearing dark colors and head scarves,
their bodies hidden, ungraceful, fat,
as if they never knew the sensation of sweet sensuality
They watch the others, like groups of hawks, hunched together,
opening to a new reality .
I do not know where they come from, Jerusalem or Jordan or the West Bank?
They are not much different from the Jewish orthodox women, also dressed in heavy clothes, also afraid of their beauty.
When they enter the water in their bathing suits they unleash secrets that were under their skin.
An expression of slight embarrassment appears on their faces.
Then they leave, like flocks of black birds.
Author Bio:
Dana Negev grew up in Israel and has been a peace worker for many years. She brought together Israelis and Palestinians in a poetry show in Tel Aviv (2005) and in Berkeley, Calif. (2013). Her poems appeared in the anthology "Before We Have Nowhere to Stand" by Lost Horse Press . Dana was a member of Women in Black for many years, seeing the role of women as essential in speaking out against injustice. She is also a performance poet. She lives in New Mexico, works in schools and is
Passionate about speaking against racism and oppression. She hopes that art and poetry can help touch people in this way.
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