In Wartime
Translated By Zyad Altaghlbi
Translated from the Arabic
Ten years—
as though a dark, sniper-lined street—
we crossed it.
Ten years of cemeteries
devouring the face of the country.
The walls of houses lean toward one another,
windows open wide.
No neighbors anymore;
our homes have become
vast nests
for the birds of nearby trees.
Notes:
This poem is part of the folio “Broken Lines: A Gathering of Exiled Poets,” curated by Laura Kraftowitz and Edward Salem. Read the rest of the folio in the July/August 2026 issue of Poetry.
Source: Poetry (July/August 2026)