Kaila Shabat

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

In the year 1977, just weeks before President Sadat of Egypt announced his peace mission to Jerusalem; I penned a single poem, ‘Child of Peace.’ Perhaps, as a budding poet, I sensed the olive branch fluttering. However, after writing that verse, I remained silent for twenty-five years. Then, I awoke, as if from a dream, and began to write prolifically based on the promise of peace placed on my pen in the seventies. This included a detailed journal, in which suppressed memories surfaced, relating to unimaginable abuse in a childhood separated from my parents. My vision for the New Era intensified; the longing ‘for a world free of violence, bloodshed, perversion and greed.’ Since 2003, I have shared my aspirations and poetry with my friends.