"I Shall Resist" T-Shirt

The poppy has long stood as a symbol of Palestine and the Palestinian struggle. It represents the Palestinian connection to the land, where fields of poppies have grown in abundance, adorning the landscape each spring for centuries. The flower also comprises each colour of the Palestinian flag – red, black, white, and green – with the red colour of the petals evoking the bloodshed of martyrs, those Palestinians who have died defending their land.

To accompany this beautiful poppy design, painted in watercolour by Helena Checkley (@helenacheckley.art) is a line from a poem ‘Enemy of the Sun’, by the Palestinian poet Samih al-Qasim, which translates to: ‘and to the last pulse in my veins, I shall resist’.

On this t-shirt, the Palestinian poppy and the words of Samih al-Qasim together serve as a powerful reminder of the invincibility of Palestinian resistance, and a belonging that remains embedded in the land in spite of all.