I am Yaffa Hassan Elsamna
I am from occupied lands From blood oranges and storming beaches I am from the land of the oppressed, home of the brave Where the olive and fig trees are revered I am from the land of farmers Who know no greater than the land of their fathers I’m from a land filled with dabke lines and open weddings From the land of the greatest chaplains From tan skin and musky scents From my foremothers’ birthplace and forefathers’ deathbed From the origins of the Abrahamic religions Where the oppressed Became the oppressors From the home of the original Samaritans Constantly being the center of attention To the great mosques, churches, and synagogues
Photo by Rania Mustafa
22