The land has always known me, but I never knew her

I was taken away before we could meet

The ones that came before me walked for hundreds of miles

With an unfulfilled promise to return resting on worn and tired feet.

The sea carried my Teta far away 

From the only home she’s ever known

She watched the land behind her get smaller

Taken by a stranger who saw money in every stone

The stories of Palestine reached me generations later

A pain so strong, it feels like I was there

I vowed I would see the land of lemon and jasmine

And swim in the waves that pushed back my Teta’s hair

On the night we met, we danced 

While we listened to Fairouz

I was enthralled with your stories and with your view of the world

Everyday defying the borders you were born to 

You let the shores you were denied steer you

Through holes in barbed wire and scaling the walls

You laughed when I asked if you were scared

“It’s my land. I answer her when she calls”

You asked me my Teta’s name, to help you paint the picture 

When I told you, I could see you knew what it meant

Your eyes lit up and you shook your head

And you let it echo before you said

“An old name, it's beautiful, Soumaya. 

It means coming from something great”

Her name like a song moved through air

As if having never left this place

Being there showed me clearly

The sea has always known the truth

And the sun knows the ones she darkens

And the soil protects its roots

The night was meant for singing

Melodies from long ago

Dedicated to the ones with footprints in the ground

That the land will always know