Memoirs of a Fallen Star
Striking visual and poetic structures characterize this sensational work of poetry. Originally written in Arabic, poems are organized in two parts. The first selection explores themes of loss while the second is a passionate embrace between poet and homeland. With artful illustrations and layout to match the originality of its poetry, this is a must-have zine.
Editions: Arabic and English.
Letter to the Reader
On the fourth of January 2025,
the occupation stole a piece of my heart…
My brother, his wife, and their child left this world all at once.
Since then, I have been wandering—no home to shelter me,
and no memory that feels complete without them.
I was stripped of everything:
my homeland, my house, even the medals
I once hung on the walls of my heart before the walls of my room.
Then came the war, taking from me every playground, every laugh,
my friends, the face of my home,
and even the face of my future.
I carry on my shoulders dreams that burned before they could ripen,
and I ask myself, time and again:
Had this war never existed, how many medals would I have earned?
How many books would I have written?
How much of life would I have truly lived?
Yet still, I write.
Writing, for me, is not a hobby—it is survival.
Every story I tell is a cry from beneath the rubble.
Our pens must not be taken from us the way our land was taken.
I write in the hope that a poem might touch a heart,
stir a conscience,
or light a single candle in this vast darkness.
I believe every word carries a message and a lesson.
I search within the depths of reality for stories untold,
for feelings that ache in silence,
and for hope rising from the core of ruins.
Through my writing, I aspire to inspire—
to build a bridge between the reader
and the human stories that surround us,
where the reader finds themselves in the first line
and wishes not to part with the last.
I write to keep those who left alive on the page,
and to build from the wreckage of our stories
anew home made of ink.
For I believe that every word has a life of its own,
and every soul holds a story worthy of being told.
Sample Illustration and Text
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About the Author
Roba Imad Al-Sharif is a Palestinian writer and poet in her final year of secondary school, qualifying her as one of the youngest poets of Gaza. She is the author of the book Daughter of Death and has been featured in La Rosa di Gaza, an anthology of poetic works by writers in Gaza. Her poems have also appeared in literary publications such as Opol and Baladi.
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