They said something as they passed the food around.
I was distracted by the few who wore
political billboards on their shoulders.
Someone surely said, « Have at it, » and
I misheard those words as « Israel. »

When I stood up from my chair at the parent-teacher gathering,
it dragged across the floor and made a noise.
They may have cried something about
children and jail, but I heard « Israel. »

It was dark, yet sooner than it seemed, due to winter time.
We just walked home and didn’t talk much.
In the silent parts, I heard « Israel. »

Image credit : Amir Mizroch, kibbutz Be’eri