The pause 

has been

paused.

For a moment,

pregnant 

with possibility

for release

and aid,

the pause

extended

and portended

hope.

Eight more

hostages

freed,

they agreed,

and that

was that.

We know

that Blinken

and Biden

are, 

along with Qatar,

attempting

to broker

more than

a Jack Benny

pause. 

But it’s Bibi’s

war

while more

and more

information

reveals

received

details

of Hamas’

depraved

planned assault

on innocents

as long

as a year

ago.

Let’s just pause

here

and take in

what is clear

in this mess.

Destroying

Hamas

and leaving

Abbas

will not

go well.

And now 

with this intel

it seems

to smell

of rot 

and hubris

and perhaps

obtuseness

that has led

to a horrible

war

against terror.

Another pause

as growing calls

for the incursion

to cease

for the release

of the rest 

of the hostages,

seems to be

the best

we can

expect

for now.

As long

as Bibi

can pause,

the cause

of this war

persists

and he

resists

prosecution.