The Children of Gaza

Don’t mention the children.

Don’t name the dead children.

The people must not know the names

of the dead children.

The names of the children must be hidden.

The children must be nameless.

The children must leave this world

having no names.

No one must know the names of

the dead children.

No one must say the names of the

dead children.

No one must even think that the children

have names.

People must understand that it would be dangerous

to know the names of the children.

The people must be protected from

knowing the names of the children.

The names of the children could spread

like wildfire.

The people would not be safe if they knew

the names of the children.

Don’t name the dead children.

Don’t remember the dead children.

Don’t think of the dead children.

Don’t say: ‘dead children’.

Mike Rosen is a Jewish writer from North London, who was recently Britain’s official Children’s Poet Laureate. He read this poem at last Saturday’s 100,000-strong Gaza solidarity demonstration in London.