The ghosts

She liked the ghosts around her.
Yet she challenged their existence in her mind.

She questioned their motives every once in a while.
Yet may be she thought she was blind.

She wondered about the colors they wore.
Yet she hated the colors they left behind.

She berated herself for being infatuated by them.
Yet she hated them for killing her kind.

She pondered, “What will they do next? Why did they learn my language? My parents said terrible things happened before 2003, but I was only 7 then, how do I know? As if the current violence isn't enough.

They guard my schools, they guard my house, and now parents seem to like them. Mom says, 'That bomb that went off last year due to a technical failure'. How I wish Allah makes somes technical failure and sends my cousin Mahmoud back.

My house got taken over in July. The ghosts need it for a radio base. We moved to the basement. Dad said, ‘It’s strategic or strategy related, something like that. And they promised they will clean .’ He winked at me. I don’t know what that means, but then they should at least wipe the blood off the street every once in a while.

How odd they protect us till they are with us and once they leave to the other side they become our enemies. May be that’s why we call them ghosts. ”