as i open my freezer door

and curse the broken hinge that causes it to stick

i lament it’s aged and how poorly it does the job it’s made for 

after selecting the protein for tonight’s meal

i carefully make sure the door seals shut and put the food in some warm water to thaw enough so i can defrost it

my mind turns, as it often does these days, to the video of a smiling Palestinian child  

sitting proudly in the front of his class

singing at the top of his voice 

in the shade of a collapsed building 

in a field of rubble

and how he grinned through laughing when served a plate of rice and lentils 

and i curse my broken fridge for making me feel anything but grateful 

for this house

for my cadre of comforts 

and again as it has so much this year

my heart weeps for the children of Gaza 

and my mind reels 

and i am quiet