Paradise Lost Poem by David Keig

When i said i'd die tomorrow
My whole family was there
I said i'd go to heaven
And i asked them for their prayers.

I'll admit my hands were sweaty
But i'd practised many times
The dry runs were quite frequent
Behind those hostile lines.

The check point was quite easy
They really didn't look at me
I looked the part, spoke Hebrew
Seemed like i'd got friends with me.

The restaurant was crowded
Women, kids, just having fun
I'd been trained to find the best spot
To detonate the bomb.

So i got close to a table
And looked around - well just in case
Someone might recognise me
And put a name unto my face.

'Well hi there' said this lady
'Say you're looking rather tired
Come sit with us and eat some food
Hey - you two move aside'

She looked just like my mother
The one they killed in that attack
I almost pressed the button
But then something held me back.

I told this to the soldiers
While those lights they shone on me
They looked at me and asked my age
It was then i said 'thirteen'.