Fadwa Tuqan (Palestine) Enough for Me Enough for me to die on her earth be buried in her to melt and vanish into her soil then sprout forth as a flower played with by a child from my country. Enough for me to remain in my country's embrace to be in her close as a handful of dust a sprig of grass a flower. Hoda Ablan (Jemen) Confession Sometimes, at nightfall, I break down and cry Then I resent my tears, which have illuminated the world and extinguished me. Partition Between us is night with its flickering features a star, stripped of her gown of memories pasted bare in distant space. Parting You are there, building a home and I am here, demolishing a memory Your home, which will be open to all And my memory, which was open to your face. Corner In a dark corner of my wound's room I glimpse a shadow ,two shadows threads of shadow dancing with the needles of the fire knitting the cold that lies at the threshold I dress myself in it and my longing shivers. Road Barefoot, they run from their past from hands waving behind a heavy wall and trembling mothers who anoint themselves with a final tear The dream of garlands the earth will weave from the threads of their sweat... and a road paved by God... which no ghosts can close. Spillage My mother suspected that whatever was visiting me in my sleep would rattle the roof of our house and that my heart was defiled above all else by love so she poured my dreams into the street roofed only with accusations refreshing the lungs of dust but she overlooked two tears at the bottom of the bucket which crept stealthily into her eyes and have rained down ever since. Scraps When he went away I had nothing left of him but myself...