TO THE MOON

Oh, dear moon,
Can you bear
all of this from us—
our conversations,
our sorrow,
and our cascading tears?

Oh, dear moon,
Can we confide
the turmoil inside my restless mind,
my scattered thoughts,
and my shattered heart?

Oh, dear moon,
Embrace me in your arms,
and lift me
beyond the clouds,
where light meets
the silent sky,
and I may escape
within the flocks
of migratory birds…

Oh, dear moon,
Can you guard my fractured soul,
listen to my whispers,
my supplications,
and my silent prayers?

Oh, dear moon,
Can you release me?
Let me be your light—
the one
who illuminates the path
for torn souls
and broken hearts.

Oh, dear moon,
My soul burns,
and my tears pour
from my eyes
like a relentless waterfall.

Oh, dear moon,
I feel like a fool,
speaking to you,
burdening you
with my stories
and my nonsense words…

Oh, dear moon.

Photo Taken By Malak Al-shrafi

Menna Saber Abo Salem

Menna Saber Abo Salem is a 20-year-old fourth-year English Language Teaching Methods student at Al-Aqsa University. She writes in Arabic and English, translates between languages, and shares her short texts on Instagram. This genocide produced writers, and today I am telling the world and writing the stories of my people and my story. Menna is also a voice-over artist; her latest work, “I Roam the Streets and Collect Street Sayings,” is on SoundCloud. Three of her texts will be serialized in Brief Encounters Journal, and her poem “Flight to Paradise: Between Darkness and Light” will be published on OPOL. Find her work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mennasaber.as?igsh=ZzhkNmM5enl1djU=