Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear is both a lament for and an ode to Gaza and its people. Mosab Abu Toha's words are searing, gorgeous, and absolutely devastating. Starting with his childhood and ending with his current status as father to young children, Abu Toha portrays life in Gaza in such an evocative manner that his simultaneous grief and pride over being Palestinian practically leaps off the page.

As I often feel about poetry, why try and describe how beautiful his words are when I can just quote the author himself?

"In Gaza, 

breathing is a task, 

smiling is performing 

plastic surgery 

on one's own face, 

and rising in the morning, 

trying to survive 

another day, is coming back 

from the dead."

"And when we die, our bones will continue to grow, to reach and intertwine with the roots of the olive and orange trees, to bathe in the sweet Yaffa sea. One day, we will be born again when you're not there. Because this land knows us. She is our mother. When we die, we're just resting in her womb until the darkness is cleared."

Mosab's home in Gaza was recently destroyed during the ongoing genoc!dal siege. Then, just last week, he was separated from his family and beaten and detained by Israeli forces. He has since been reunited with his family. I don't pray but I'm hoping that Mosab and family can remain physically safe. And with every ounce of my soul, I am wishing for a complete ceasefire and a Free Palestine.