The Silence That Remains: Selected Poems

[A] rare occurrence in the poetry world. -American Book Review

As a child, Ghassan Zaqtan lived in a refugee camp near the River Jordan. While that painful experience deeply influenced his poetry, when Zaqtan was awarded the prestigious Griffin International Prize, the judges noted: His words turn dark into light, hatred into love, death into life. His magic leads us to the clearing where hope becomes possible, where healing begins across individuals, countries, races.

When interviewed by PBS for their special on Palestinian poets, Zaqtan said, I am not the kind of person who will walk in front of the demonstration. I walk behind the demonstration in order to collect the small things that may fall, whether it’s the handkerchief or a child’s backpack or a purse.

This generous volume represents two decades of incandescent creativity.

Handkerchief

Nothing’s left to say between us everything went into the train that hid its whistle in the smoke that didn’t become a cloud in the departure that gathered your limbs Nothing’s left to say between us so let your death be the insight of dazzling silver and let the sun of those cities be a rose on your shoulders

Ghassan Zaqtan is the author of over a dozen books of poetry and fiction, and has edited the poetry journal Al-Soua'ra and the literary magazine of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Bayader. He lives in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where he is the Founding Director of The House of Poetry.