text version of the poem under the cut
Long Live Itsy Bee by Jane Shi
The worldās so hard and bitter and it makes you want to flee, Chasinā gods from where they sleep to where they drink the sea. You chase āem to the stations, you chase āem to the zoo, And then you chase āem home again after their bodiesā due.
One day you ask them what it is that makes it all worthwhile They point to Itsy Bee who canāt help but make you smile You watch the Youtube video and each time you would cry Watch this cartoon pup and Capān whose love will never die
If he and Itsy Bee would sail to Gazaās shores today Theyād bring in food and water so that kids will be okay Itsy Bee will fetch the arrows while Capān brings the bow That stop the rain of airstrikes hurtling down below
Itsy Bee will sail and sail until Palestine is free Sheāll bark for Congo, Hawaiāi, Sudan, Haitiā For in this life you know that every creature has its role And this sweet oat with her best friend will fight until theyāre old
When you dream of freedom Itsy Bee comes to mind And no capān worth their salt would leave anyone behind And when some kids are livinā in an itsy bitsy hovel While others and their family are buried under the rubble
Theyāll sail there and help fight with their mighty bow nā arrow Theyāll bring all the medicine along with bread and taro And if the sea is kind to them theyāll carry out pots of fish Feed and heal the children and their families who all wish
That the world would care and stop this, donāt scroll when you see Chasinā kids from where they sleep to where they meet the sea. We chased āem to the border, we chased āem in the zoo, But one day theyāll go back home again as free people do.
A beautiful poem written by Jane Shi and illustrated by me in the style of the original itsy bee animation! It took me a few months, but I'm so proud of how this turned out! This is my first time producing a full length illustrated booklet, so there was a lot of learning to be had.
We have both a digital version and a physical Canadian pre-order on Big Cartel! You can also pick up a free version on my Itch page, but any donation is greatly appreciated.
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As well, please consider making an additional donation to my friend @kareman-dohaan. Many of her photos were used as inspiration for certain details in my illustrations. She is vetted by both gaza_evacuations_funds and 90-ghost.
Her gofundme is here
