London writer Miriam Halahmy remembers an Israeli peace activist – called ‘Shula’ (peace) in the poem – whom she met briefly in Sderot in 2017. She can't help wondering what happened to her on 7 October

Shula

I am folding the washing/ stepping over Lego strewn by the grandboys/thinking about egg sandwich for lunch/
But I am in Sderot/ remembering a bomb shelter by the bus stop we walked past/remembering Shula the peacenik/
Shula from the kibbutz next to Gaza/who took her driving test in Gaza when no borders existed/
Shula who drove Gazans to Israeli hospitals/

Remembering Shula is not knowing if she survived/
Remembering Shula is a door to pain I cannot bear to approach/
Forgetting is not an option/
Carrying on is a world of bewilderment/
Hope such a tiny glimmer/
Most days I forget to blow on the single surviving ember/

By Miriam Halahmy

Miriam Halahmy has published 10 novels, three poetry collections and many short stories for adults, teens and children, and has been a peace activist for 50 years. Her new novel, A Boy From Baghdad (Green Bean Books) begins in 1949 and tells the little-known story of the forced exile of the ancient Iraqi Jewish community from Iraq. Read an interview with Miriam in the winter 2024 issue of JR, out in January. miriamhalahmy.com