I visited Gaza once. It must have been in 1999.
I travelled around the Israel and the Palestinian territories. Back then it was quite peaceful.
I was only there for a day, but I got a good impression of the city centre, where I spend the afternoon. I ran into a guy on the street, who suddenly started talking to me. I guess I was the only westener around. He was engaged in the work for human rights, and really wanted to practise his english.
We talked for hours and drank tea together. He showed me around Gaza. It was in august, and the heat was killing me. So we went to the cool shade of a laundry shop, that belonged to a cousin of my host. We drank a cool coke and ate something. I can’t remember what it was.
At that time, the city was quite beautiful with green parks in the centre. Now it’s a sad mess.
I have made a lot of friends all over the world, where I have travelled. I guess it’s easy to get in contact with others, when you are all alone. You need the social dimension in your life. You don’t need war.
I think of my wonderful day in Gaza everytime I see the pictures from the conflict these days. And sometimes I feel sick and just want to go to bed. I wrote this song lying down.
The Song that Kills
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I must lie down
Whenever I
Turn on the news today
And I sometimes
Wish that someone would come
And take me to outer space
It’s in the first lines from the verse
And the chorus makes it worse
It’s inside every word of the song that kills
And as I lie
I forget
I belong to the world today
It’s in the first lines from the verse
And the chorus makes it worse
It’s inside every word of the song that kills
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