We Didn’t Win.This Was Not a Win.
🖤🤍
When I wrote The Thing She Carried, I didn’t write it to win.
I wrote it because we couldn’t look away. Because Bisan’s voice, still crackling defiantly through the noise, haunted us. Because we were tired of watching genocide unfold in real time while the world debates semantics. Tired of seeing the west turn inward and pretend they didn’t see.
The poem was published on Vocal. It won. Five hundred dollars. But when you write about starvation, when you echo the words of a young woman documenting the death of her people, you don’t win. You just feel numb. And sick.
We believe in giving quietly. And we have, and will continue to, whenever we can. But in this case, silence felt like complicity. This isn’t a story about giving. It’s a story about what was never ours to keep.
So, after much research and reaching out we sent the money to Gaza.
To Habiba.
Habiba has cystic fibrosis and needs medical evacuation. Her body, like so many others, is running out of time. The money won’t save her — not alone. But it might buy a bigger chance. And that’s more than most are given.
We were able to get it to her through a friend of Rivers — someone working directly with six families in Gaza, providing immediate, direct aid. No NGO pipelines. No bloated overheads. No CEO taking a fat-ass salary whilst the minions 'volunteer'.
We are watching a genocide. We are watching it be rationalized, distracted from, wrapped in polite language by powerful men who have never missed a meal in their life. We are watching people be erased – exterminated- in real time. Bisan is still documenting. As best she can - When she can. If she can. Still surviving. Still packing her rage, her sadness, her toothbrush. Still pleading. Still starving. Still here.
This is not a donation drive. This is a call to stop performing helplessness.
There are people on the ground. Not organizations. Not press statements. People.
People like Zaina helping six families. As best she can.
Zaina offers help. Just help, from one human being to another.
We could only help just one family in any vaguely meaningful way.
If you can help, help. Quietly, directly, and now.
Because we are running out of time.
And because the most powerful thing about Bisan’s voice is that she hasn’t stopped using it. Even when no one is listening. Even when we turned away. Even when she watched her family and friends die in front of her. She never stopped trying.
So, we can’t. Mustn’t. Not until the people of Palestine stop having to bury their children.
Censorship by Sanitisation
A poem for those who still flinch at the word "genocide" but don’t give fuck about those it is actually happening to.
Clean.
Cut.
For the masses.
Numbed by meta
tags
and
Twitter wars.
Politicians won’t say it.
Too much for the minions.
Jacked up on caffeine,
truth at the bottom
of a discarded Big Mac box.
And all the while—
genocide.
Say it—
Feel it on your tongue.
Let it worm its way
to your brain.
Think of your own
child.
Dead.
By
Genocide.
“This is Bisan from Gaza. And unfortunately, I am still alive..”
“This is Bisan from Gaza. And unfortunately, I am still alive..”
“This is Bisan from Gaza. And unfortunately, I am still alive..”
“This is Bisan from Gaza. And unfortunately, I am still alive..”
About the Creator
River and Celia in Underland
Mad-hap shenanigans, scrawlings, art and stuff ;)
Poetry Collection, Is this All We Get?
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More stories from River and Celia in Underland and writers in Humans and other communities.
Gratitude in Two Parts
US, 2023
By River and Celia in Underland about a year ago in Humans
The Summoning of the Tree Spirit. Runner-Up in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
Thank God for Christmas. And Hanukkah. And Yule. And probably a myriad of midwinter gatherings of light, food, and family I’ve never even heard of. Winter is tough, and most of us benefit from something to make it more bearable. Personally, I consider myself lucky to live in an era where frozen earth need not equate to a hungry belly, but even though I can gain eight hundred lumens of light at the flick of a switch, how much more pleasure is there in one hundred little five lumen bursts on a string? Or just fifteen in a candle’s steady glow?
By Hannah Moore24 days ago in Humans
Comments (15)
Your brave and honest message behind this genocide is truly inspiring.
I already admired you two for your writing and your presence before reading “The Things She Carried.” That piece further solidified your place in my mind, as not only talented artists/ writers but as GOOD artists/ people. When I saw that piece won I actually felt kinda bad for you, odd as that is to say, because it was clear you have deep empathy, and I knew it would feel really uncomfortable to “win” on that piece. The art of it was masterfully done, so the recognition is deserved, but the content is so tragic and brutal and real that it almost feels wrong to have it attached to a prize, because it seems celebratory. Maybe there should be a new phrase for the guilt artists feel? Like survivors guilt but for journalists, photographers, and writers who try to document real horrors. Also, I’m really not surprised that you donated the winnings to a good cause that would help in Gaza specifically, and I’m very glad that you made that donation public. Helping people, in my mind, is the most ethical use of art that an artist can aspire to, putting your platform to impact. The donation was a good thing, but doing it publicly essentially doubled the reach of “the things she carried” in terms of helping people acknowledge the horrors that the people of Gaza are suffering. Speaking up, and then when you’re given accolades for speaking up, you pivot away from the chance to bask so you can speak up again, good on you!
You two are an inspiration and a blessing. When you said you were going to donate your winnings, we all knew you spoke the truth, there was never any doubt. You're doing great spreading the message! Thank you for attaching the GoFundMe link ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you. Thank you for showing the rest of us what it means to be human, and what we can do as creators to help those less fortunate than us.
Thank you. For raising awareness. Fighting the fight and quite literally putting your money where your mouth is. You are two are the best people. The world needs more Rivers and Celias.
Mind boggling how people are still so clueless as to the atrocities that are occurring daily. Gratitude to you both.
The world needs more people like you both and Zaina 🥹❤️
River and Celia, you are always one of my favourite writers and now you’ve become two of my favourite people. What a wonderful thing you have done and I can tell it was without much debate. Right is right
Oh my............. I thought I had an idea of what was going on there until now. After reading this and watching the Tik Toc vid, that idea was way off. It's much more urgent that we pay attention and do what we can to help. Thank you two, Zaina and Bisan for opening my eyes much wider to this situation. Absolutely Horrifying. And it makes total sense why you donated the prize money. It is their story but written and shared by two of the most determined, compassionate and generous writers anywhere. Thank you! ❤❤❤
Beautifully written as always. Thank you for continuing to fight for Gaza. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
LYLAS <3
The heart sang its true song
❤️❤️❤️
I remember when we donated to a local Cystic Fibrosis charity from one of our gigs they said they received virtually no support apart from what they could get from street collections. You are doing brilliantly and hope this gets a Top Story
Good humans. You are such good humans. I feel privileged to count you as my friends. I always want you in my corner.