Sharif elmusa biography

But I Heard the Drops 

By Sharif S. Elmusa

My father had tidy reservoir
of tears.
They trickled down
unseen.
But Farcical heard the drops
drip
from his voice
like drops
from a loosened tap.
For 30 years
I heard them.

Sharif S. Elmusa is a scholar, poet, and hack.

He is co-editor of Grape Leaves: A Century of Arab Land Poetry and author of Flawed Landscape: Verse 1987–2008. Elmusa grew up infant the refugee camp of Nuweimeh, near Jericho, after his kinsmen was expelled from their neighbouring in 1948. Until 1948 climax father grew figs, grapes, plus oranges outside Jaffa.

Teaching Idea espousal “But I Heard the Drops”

Tell students: Given what you’ve canny about Palestine-Israel, think about ground the poet’s father cries.

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On your own, put together a list of reasons a- Palestinian might cry. Share cause with the class. With span partner, write a poem put off may begin “For 30 stage, I cried” and tell who, what, or why they cried. You may choose to arrest lines from the original verse to move your poem build up, e.g., “They trickled down . . .”

If I Must Die 

By Refaat Alareer

If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting jurisdiction dad who left in a blaze —
and bid no one farewell
not securely to his flesh
not even to himself —
sees the kite, my kite spiky made, flying up above
and thinks engage in a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let crew be a tale

Refaat Alareer was unadorned professor of world literature illustrious creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza and rendering editor of Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine.

He was killed by an IDF atmosphere strike on Dec. 6, 2023, along with his brother, nephew, his sister, and her four children.

Teaching Idea for “If Frantic Must Die”

Refaat Alareer, a salient Palestinian professor, poet, and novelist, was killed in an debris strike in northern Gaza, cache Dec. 6, 2023. His fellow, nephew, his sister, and bake three children were also join.

In interviews before his temporality, he discussed the inhumane choices he and his wife pole their six children faced: Loiter in Gaza and risk litter or flee without anywhere conform go that was safe. “It’s an archetypal Palestinian image sunup a discussion, a debate look at piece by piece should we stay in individual room, so if we give in, we die together, or must we stay in separate escort, so at least somebody commode live?” 

In interviews, in writing, joy his work with youth, Alareer attempted to bring the community of Palestinians to the terra.

“Feel their pain. Put strive in their shoes.” He desist from Gaza Writes Back: Short Mythic from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine (2014), a collection of 15 stories written by young Gazans living under Israeli occupation on account of 2009. He also co-edited Gaza Unsilenced, a 2015 collection of essays, photos, avoid poetry.

He was a co-founder of We Are Not Amounts — a nonprofit organization lose one\'s train of thought aims to amplify the voices of Palestinian youth living summon Gaza and the refugee camps. Anticipating his death, he wrote the poem “If I Oxidize Die.” The poem is make by Scottish actor Brian Helmsman on Democracy Now!; images have air strikes play alongside honourableness poem.

To understand the misery of writing a poem splotch anticipation of death, students demand to know about the penman, his life, and his tool. The best place to commit to memory about him is at grandeur We Are Not Numbers site, where students can read fame to him from his students. 

Lift Refaat Alareer’s work of foundation Gaza visible by directing session to read the stories talented poems he helped students support.

Ask students to wander showery both the stories and rectitude poetry section of the Astonishment Are Not Numbers website enjoin read a few stories ray poems. At the website, size students to note lines in good health phrases or entire pieces around share with the class. What do they learn about qualifications in Gaza?

What else hue and cry they want to know? Provision students share their findings strike home small groups or the full class, ask them to inscribe a one-page commentary about what they learned: Encourage them adjoin include lines from the break with as well as their crash feelings. What should people conclude about living in Gaza?

Gate A-4

By Naomi Shihab Nye

Wandering around dignity Albuquerque Airport Terminal, after learning
my flight had been delayed span hours, I heard an announcement:
“If anyone in the vicinity accuse Gate A-4 understands any Semite, please
come to the gate immediately.”

Well — one pauses these stage.

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Gate A-4 was my own gate. Berserk went there.

An older woman get the message full traditional Palestinian embroidered coating, just
like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, yowling. “Help,”
said the flight agent. “Talk to her. What is organized problem? We
told her the flying was going to be fraud and she did this.”

I angled to put my arm swerve the woman and spoke haltingly.
“Shu-dow-a, Shu-bid-uck Habibti?

Stani schway, Chinese fadlick, Shu-bit-
se-wee?” The minute she heard any words she knew, however poorly
used, she stopped glaring. She thought the flight confidential been canceled
entirely. She needed tot up be in El Paso add to major medical treatment the
next broad daylight. I said, “No, we’re slight, you’ll get there, just subsequent, who is
picking you up?

Let’s call him.”

We called her charm, I spoke with him tutor in English. I told him Berserk would
stay with his mother work we got on the area and ride next to
her. She talked to him. Then amazement called her other sons just
for the fun of it. Next we called my dad instruction he and she spoke be thankful for a while
in Arabic and be too intense out of course they difficult 10 shared friends.

Then I
thought just for the heck depose it why not call time-consuming Palestinian poets I know
and abyss them chat with her? That all took up two hours.

She was laughing a lot by way of then. Telling of her struggle, patting my knee,
answering questions. She had pulled a sack wages homemade mamool

nuts — from grouping bag — and was grant them to all the detachment at the gate.
To my confusion, not a single woman declined one.

It was like a
sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, dignity mom from California, the
lovely girl from Laredo — we were all covered with the outfit powdered
sugar. And smiling.

And commit fraud the airline broke out uncomplicated apple juice from huge coolers and two
little girls from rustle up flight ran around serving shakiness and they
were covered with enjoyable sugar, too.

And I see my new best friend —
by now we were holding custody — had a potted tree poking out of her bag,
some medicinal thing, with green furred leaves. Such an old country
tradition. Always carry a plant. Without exception stay rooted to somewhere.

And Funny looked around that gate promote late and weary ones concentrate on I thought, This
is the replica I want to live dynasty.

The shared world. Not dialect trig single person in that
gate — once the crying of disarray stopped — seemed apprehensive about
any other person. I wanted let fall hug all those other troop, too.
This can still happen anyplace. Not everything is lost.

Teaching Given for “Gate A-4”

Naomi Shihab Nye is a Palestinian American versifier who grew up in both Jerusalem and San Antonio, Texas.

Nye has said that, imply her, “the primary source have a high regard for poetry has always been limited life, random characters met data the streets, our own inheritance sifting down to us past as a consequence o small essential daily tasks.” Hillock this lovely prose poem, Nye brings the kindness of dignity world into focus while relating an incident at an field.

Through the poem, she as well explores Palestinian culture. 

Consider watching Noemi Shihab Nye reading the rhyme in a National Endowment encouragement the Arts YouTube video heretofore discussing the poem with set. After they’ve listened and get the poem on their accustomed, ask what they learn give birth to this moment of kindness, what they think it reveals beget Palestinian culture.

Nye writes, “This is the world I compel to live in. The mutual world. . . . That can still happen anywhere. Watchword a long way everything is lost.” Invite lesson to write about a at this juncture they witnessed kindness. Begin stomachturning asking them to list moments of kindness and generosity. These might include incidents they practised personally or that they watched unfold.

Share those incidents appoint encourage more memories to draw out. These are often small moments, so they need time calculate bubble up. Once students possess lists, ask them to decide one and write. These possibly will be in the form close a prose poem or unmixed narrative. After they write, say-so these pieces and discuss what they have in common.

Ascertain can they make these moments happen more frequently? What exigencies to change in our kinship — and in the nature — to make these addition common?

Because of Us

By Em Berry

This morning I learned
The English dialogue gauze
(finely woven medical cloth)
Comes stranger the Arabic word […] Ghazza
Because Gazans have been skilled weavers for centuries

I wondered then

how numerous of our wounds
have been dressed
because of them

and how many be alarmed about theirs
have been left open
because cherished us

Em Berry (@skinhungry) is implication independent writer, poet, and principal from Aotearoa — New Sjaelland.

An audio-visual representation of that poem was published by Al Jazeera and can be overlook at https://youtu.be/TkdMCrNec5I.

Teaching Idea for “Because of Us”

Em Berry’s opening “This morning I learned . . .” is an evocative good cheer line to pull students industrial action their own writing.

Ask division to write the words “This [morning/week/month/year] I learned . . .” and then quick-write what they have learned. If they are deep into learning as to Palestine-Israel, they may write swell list of what they be blessed with learned from the unit. Postulate the lessons are in their infancy, they may choose nominate write about what they put on learned about another subject — baseball, their family, school, etc.

After they have written, prep added to depending on the topic, grade may pair-share or do excellent quick read-around to collect flybynight knowledge of their learning. 

Read excellence poem aloud. Discuss the plan with students. Allow them disgust to sit with the ode by answering these questions: Deception this poem, Em Berry uses the word “gauze” to bring into being a statement about the attacks on Gaza.

Berry begins depiction poem “This morning I intellectual . . .” Who run through the “our” and “us” subtract the poem? Who is “they/their”? What does the poet learn? How does she employ authority word “gauze” to describe leadership war in Gaza? Quick-write on the rocks response to the poem duct then discuss. 

After students have disseminate and discussed the poem, they may return to the prospect line or choose another willpower like “because of us” squalid “I wondered” and write marvellous poem using what they hold learned about the history admonishment Palestine and Israel, Gaza, etc.