Victory

We all thought
this homeland had died.
I believed we were centuries away from
tasting happiness again.

Then 200.000 Syrians gathered in the center
of every city to witness the smallest
and the biggest of
victories,
to witness jasmines growing from the debris.
Guns were silenced for two hours,
the soldiers put down their rifles
and turned on the TV for two hours,

until the match was over.

200.000 farmers and teachers
and prostitutes and children
and mothers and lovers.
200.000 orphans and refugees.

Now, I've never really liked football
but I was cheering too,
cheering mostly for those
200.000 broken hearts
beating with hope and prayer.

Before the match was over, we won.

It felt like victory.