Blood

American Palestinian poet Naomi Shihab Nye published her third collection of poetry, Yellow Glove, in 1986. The poem “Blood,” which appears in this volume, is a deeply personal reflection on the poet’s Palestinian father and her own Arab heritage. It explores issues of identity, culture, and resistance to oppression.

Shihab Nye wrote the poem a year before the First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israel, which lasted from 1987 to 1991. The First Intifada, which began in response to Israeli land expropriation and the construction of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, was characterized by civil disobedience, strikes and riots. Around 2,000 people died during the uprising, mainly Palestinians.

The poem indicates there was unrest in Palestine even before the First Intifada—a result of the long history of territorial dispute in the region.

“Blood” is set in the poet’s home country, America, but explores how an American Arab should respond to the crisis in Palestine. Palestine may be far away, but the poet is connected by “blood” and cannot remain indifferent to the fate of that fragmented country. Her biracial heritage leads her to explore what it means to be tied to two countries with different political realities.

Shihab Nye’s work is rooted in her own life, domestic details, and everyday occurrences.