Utopian Dreams
Stay alive—in our Veins.²
In our Blood a million Suns
Defy a multitude of cruelties.³
A bandaged sun—still pours Light!⁴
The lamps of Love will Burn away
The endless night of occupation!⁵
Let my words, instead of endless litany,
Be an Index—unhinging the foundations
Of every category & name forced upon us!⁶
The Exiles will one days sit around one table
As a family and Rejoice, knowing that
Despite sorrow it is our Homeland!⁷
Little Sparrow—
Can we borrow your Wings?⁸
We give the walls back to the rocks!⁹
We exempt the door from the key—
And set the Wind Free …¹⁰
¹ Naomi Shihab Nye, Tiny Journalist Blues
² Qasem Waleed El-Farra, A New Day to Die
³ Tawfiq Zayyad tr. Elmusa & Collom, A Million Suns in My Blood
⁴ Khalid ‘Ali Mustafa tr. M. Jayyusi & Nye, Meeting of Two Wounds
⁵ ‘Abd al-Latif ‘Aql tr. Elmusa & Davies, From Jerusalem to the Gulf
⁶ George Abraham, The Palestinian/Queer Specimen’s Index
⁷ ‘Ali al-Khalili tr. Hanan Mikha’il Ashrawi, Departure
⁸ Sara Alsweirki, Nest of Diaspora
⁹ Mahmoud Darwish tr. Ben Bennani, The Prison Cell
¹⁰ Muhammad al-Qaisi tr. M. Jayyusi & Reed, One-Day Vacation