The Death of Empathy


When empathy died

the soldiers could dance

in the underwear of the women

whose homes they had destroyed.

And dance they did with pride.

You can see it in the films they made.


When empathy was dead 

the soldiers could steal children’s toys

from the rubble of their bombed homes

and repurpose them as tank trophies

mascots to be flaunted with pride.

You can see it in the films they made.


When they had killed empathy 

the soldiers could shoot babies

in the head or gut - they chose,

and someone’s daughter 200 times, 

or 300 - they could choose

though there were fewer films now

‘enjoy yourselves but don’t film’,

they had been ordered

and most followed orders. 


When empathy was dead and buried

and only silence could still be heard,

Israel was supreme,

a supreme being, 

godlike in its power.

Human rights were dead,

humans would follow

any of them

even all

when empathy was no more

no one watched the films.



https://www.abilitymaine.org/bs2026aug?utm_campaign=dcf20cbc-f07d-49e6-b7ce-cf573bea5699&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=92323991-2067-436d-8b04-0dba2f6c6823

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