What becomes of the name? A tombstone A reclusive shadow A relic An amulet for the evil eye A deciduous memory X No one can survive a misspelt name. XI My mother, to remember how old she is, remembers the catastrophe. XII Since misspelling only happens once, the name dies then. Why is it that it is the one name that is misspelt? A refugee’s name is evidence to survival. Can you not see that a misspelt name is a wounded name? A Gate Cut Out of Dreams By Yousif M. Qasmiyeh Dear Officer Forever grateful I will be to the line you retraced across my fragile name through the date of birth all the way to my heart cross-examining my intentions no eye-contact or welcoming poetics to tame the abnormal in the air your palms simply resting on overcrowded texts a nib-less pen to the side to gesture for the path that wasn’t a line from a past interview for me to follow– a fault-line I stand before you a leather briefcase freshly tagged for the occasion nothing of significance inside barely a few documents to remember who I am Handed over so you could see the other inscribed in yesterday’s ink 43

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