Beirut, 1988
The question of why me has haunted me
You put a machine gun to my head, you got her on her knees
Decades later, an unanswered question and a traumatized brain
This terror is hard to shake
I tried meditation and it has been the same
For all this time I thought I was insane
That was the only way to explain the pain
Then I educated myself
I wanted to solve this for the both of us
Because I deserve to be loved
Because you deserve to be loved
From Jess Semaan’s book Child of the Moon, an illustrated poetry collection about finding light in the darkness. Set against the backdrop of the Lebanese Civil War and the author’s turbulent family life, Child of the Moon is a powerful reflection on her journey through fear, shame and despair, and the unconditional love that helped her begin to heal from childhood trauma.
Connect with Jess Semaan for a live online Community Gathering hosted by SAND.
September 14, 2024 · 10:00 – 11:30am PDT
Poetry and Grief in Times of Genocide
