Ibtisam Barakat

“To Alef, the letter
that begins the alphabets
of both Arabic and Hebrew-
two Semitic languages,
sisters for centuries.

May we find the language
that takes us
to the only home there is -
one another's hearts.

...

Alef knows
That a thread
Of a story
Stitches together
A wound.”
― Ibtisam Barakat, Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

“I am midway from forgetting to remembering. I do not know how long it will take before I return to all of myself. Yes, an echo still warns: “Learn to forget.” But I am past this checkpoint—I will never regret that I chose to remember.”
― Ibtisam Barakat, Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood