“Wipe out that sadness and weave the Dress of Impossible from the tears”. These incredible words are taken from a poem written by thirteen-year-old Roaa Al-Masri from Gaza.
Roaa’s work is one of a collection of poems written and illustrated by children from Palestine which will be on display in a unique and poignant exhibition named “Moon Tell Me Truth”.
The exhibition will open in Ennis De Valera Library, Causeway Link, V95 CTNO on Wednesday August 6th and run until Saturday August 16th.
The poems in this exhibition have been being kindly lent to The Kinvara Palestine Solidarity Group by UK Charity, The Hands Up Project.
Established by Nick Bilbrough in 2016, The Hands Up Project is a charity trust which, through its network of volunteers, connects children around the world with young people in Palestine. By means of online interaction, drama and storytelling activities, it enables the use of creativity and self-expression to promote mutual understanding, personal growth, and the development of English language skills.
In 2023 The Hands Up Project had a poetry competition and out of that came a book Moon tell me truth, the work of many of the children.
The poems and drawings in the collection are by children aged 9 to 15 and are also available in a book presented in the form in which they were originally received. Foreword by Alice Oswald, Professor of Poetry at Oxford University.
Nick has said, “I’m delighted to see the work of these remarkable children reaching wider audiences and am pleased to be able to share their poems with the people of Ennis.”
“We invite you to listen to the voices of these children and be dazzled by their resilience, strength and beauty.”
Eyes are for looking and seeing sun
Tongues are for greeting and saying fun
Legs are for walking slowing and also run
Hands are for shaking with friends not for
Shooting gun
– Fatema Saida (2014-2023)