Small Comfort: A Poem Inspired by Wadea al-Fayoume

This week marks one year since the brutal, devastating murder of little Wadea al-Fayoume. Wadea was six years old when he and his mother Hanan Shaheen were attacked by his family's landlord - someone the family trusted - and his life was stolen from him, stolen from his parents and from the family's community.

Their family is Palestinian.

Peace be with your spirit, little one. You and your family deserve so much better. Peace and care to your parents and the arms that hold them. I pray for justice for you and the uncountable others.

We owe great debts of care, truth and justice. We have so much work to do.

💔, Atena

Small Comfort

Young children do not like to see their parents upset.

They bend the truth to protect us: sometimes a darting glance and hidden hand

often, hilariously outrageous falsehoods, thrusting their best creations in our faces

casting and catching their own fervent spells while we try not to smile.

Wadea Al-Fayoume’s last words, said to his mother:

“I’m fine.”