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Baptism of the Soul
The smell of earth just after rain feels so new again and again; Each scent bestows fresh rebirth, Diffusing from raindrops tipping with mirth; I…
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Rice Wasn’t Like the Others
When the gunfire echoed through the valley that day, the dogs barked, the cats scattered, and the birds fled. Even the wind felt afraid. But…
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Book Review: Bitter Orange Tree
I haven’t read a book as captivating as Bitter Orange Tree by Jokha Alharthi in a really long time. Through prose that is delicate, the…
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Smoke on a Lightbulb
The light-bulb outside my bedroom door was flickering when I first moved in. All the rest were fine, so I simply avoided it. I reasoned…
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Fifteen Years Later
Summer had just ended, and it was time to bring out my winter clothes. I had so much work to do – sorting out what…
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Presence After Absence
How is it that your absence lingers shorter than your presence wanes? Fewer breaths than it takes smoke to rise from crushed remains, Fewer beats…
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Why I Write
I’m not a poet – not Shakespeare, not Dickenson, not Plath. My words are quite simple; Far from a masterpiece, it’s clear. They may not…
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Ember Horse
About the ArtistSuccess had always been second nature to me. Discipline and determination carried me far, eventually landing me a high paying role in Abu…
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Belonging
What life shall I behold? What shall my world be? A long play where I wear a mask and hide my scars? A short tale…
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Book Review: Cockroach
When I first started reading Rawi Hage’s Cockroach, I was not immediately hooked. Unfamiliar with his writing style, I had picked up the book because…