cities of Tijuana and Los Angeles), but with Cairo, and therefore, Egypt as well. I can’t ignore the signs, and the Arabic world is now and forever part of my life. It is now my “job” to continue in this path, starting to reweave the bridges which may allow me and others to connect between us, or rather, to reconnect, as we all come from the same stardust. I believe our work as poets and artists is to bring out the shine and infinite wordless beauty those celestial bodies have imbued in our finite earthly ones; to remind the others we are not so different, that in fact, we are all the same.
I now have with me my photos, memories, collections of poems, and the anthology published by the Tanta International Festival of Poetry, which includes one poem by each of the participants, who, among the Arabic-speaking poets included not only Egyptians, but writers from Irak, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunicia, Algeria and Morocco. It is truly magical when you realize that your words, written originally in Spanish or English or Danish, can be understood and appreciated by others, no matter how different our cultures and languages might seem. I will always keep this book as a treasured memory of this unique experience, hoping that someday I will be able to read (at least in translation) each of these poets (and the many others I met who were not part of the Festival) who have become my brothers and sisters after four days of poetic song and tragic reality.
or Danish, can be understood and appreciated by others, no matter how different our cultures and languages might seem. I will always keep this book as a treasured memory of this unique experience, hoping that someday I will be able to read (at least in translation) each of these poets (and the many others I met who were not part of the Festival) who have become my brothers and sisters after four days of poetic song and tragic reality.
May these kind of events continue to be seeds towards a better world, one not ruled by greediness or political interests but by beauty and love; I don’t care if I am sound like just a dreamer, as Lennon would say, because such a dream, such a simple hope is all we have left to build upon.