at least 71,266 people killed in the Gaza Strip as of late December 2025, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble. Some studies estimate the total violent deaths, including those under rubble, may exceed 100,000 How can it be possible? / 40,000 / I had to Google. Yup, there it is. / I’m drinking my Ensure, / thinking ahead of going to catch some surfing contest by Huntington Beach Pier. / How many is 40,000? / Maybe I can guesstimate later on / Along Pacific Coast Highway / Among the crowd. / Those who survive, where would they go? / Where CAN they go?! / Inhumanity / You don’t see them anymore / Casualties of war / 4, 40, 400, 4 thousand / Forty thousand / Keep adding zeros / Make people into zeros / For generations to come. / Do we care? / Do we dare to say that we care? / 40,000. Hmm… What cities have a population of 43,000? /What stadiums have a capacity for 43,000? / I Googled / and felt… / strangely unemotional. / Ignored suffering, ongoing killing, disappearing hope, empty promises, / Someone getting rich from this, guess who / The devil rules the world! / When Gaza finally gets its closing chapter / What will be the final toll, I wonder. Only love / Even lonely love / Intentionally hidden love / Can give you light / In these times / Of fright. / Dark despair / Life’s not fair! / Fuck it fight it walk away from it / In the end / Who? Who really, really cares?! / I’m scared / Yet not too proud to admit it / Part of me “Don’t care” / I’ll say it / Until you show me / Only love / Despite, in spite of all prejudices / Can have a chance / Of reclaiming / Our humanity / Such as it is. / So… / Can we look past our differences? / Can we show/share our lonely/only love? / Can we make it through this time / Of pitch black hell? / Or is it too late? / Guess time will tell / ( History repeats itself.)
