pristine limestones beneath

                wave upon wave

                              Phoenicians’ steps sculpted behind

Batroun’s sunsets obliterating sadma

              momentary lapses in self

 

south melts away anxiously

do not look towards the betrayal of skies

jangling heralds of aerial battles

 

forgetfulness in traffic

mechanical, queued within and without

peeking through holes in walls

 

saltatorial intoxication rephrased in streets echoing

dabke of joyful survival

shared embraces in multilingual kibbeh

diasporic affinity in exchanged gaze

she says hayete she

 

exclaims hayete high as mountains

rooting herself in verbal testimonies

of cedar trees

their rustling bowing under

heavy displacement

speak nation disjointed

mirrored in cedars cut in half

now bend to land of sacred memory