I have always felt I am not enough, Not brave enough, Not intelligent enough, Not human enough, Not enough. I have always felt my dreams were my shield, My dreams protected me from the world. Now, dreaming is not enough, I cannot escape the world. I have always felt I needed to run, Running is not enough. And I realized by not running, I was brave enough and intelligent enough. I realized running was human. I realized. I was enough. I am enough.

In this painting I wanted to show the records of asian civilizations through a single point-of-view perspective. Elements like architecture, daily lifestyle, traditional buildings and festivities are shown to immerse the viewer into the past, represented in black and white in contrast of the present times, represented as the colored room they may be in when looking at this art work. https://www.instagram.com/minuk_art

https://instagram.com/moheerah010?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D Fortuitous sighting of the shooting star Fading belief in recovering from the scar Progression from wanting something to craving it Inevitable was the longing before leaving it Chains of delusions regarding the acceptance of prayers Disarmed logic from blowing off my final hope flairs Star-gazing became secondary, the day I thought A dead meteoroid could communicate my wishes to superlunary Being rare was not associated with sighting shooting stars Let me accept, it just wasn't written in my stars Months of desperation caused this to be recognized Deliberate was the persecution of all my unfulfilled desires- genocide Necessity justifies its immorality Yet incriminated me for brutality Seeking justice remains of the demised secretively spy Obstinate! sighting a shooting star will forever be my last one to die

Originally published by Cambridge University Press and reprinted with the permission of the author.

It's the idea of falling in love. Falling in love with delicate touches and rhythmic breathing patterns. When your handpicked wounds are wrapped around in a white linen piece of their shirt. It's them. It's the idea of falling in love. https://instagram.com/aishaaht91?igshid=ZDc0MTNkNmI%3D Should've kissed you when I had the chance. Has it ever been easy? I think it never is. Loving a heart that's never known love, I think is a forbidden bliss. Feeling sunshine on my face, while I rest my head on your chest. Cherry lights and rainbow skies, were never mine in the first place. I look at the stars, barely holding their spark. And then look at my heart, barely holding on that flicker of light in the dark. Lighting up candles on the kitchen cabinets, doing our little dance, standing in between the hallway to both our homes, GOD I wish I should've kissed you when I had the chance. My heart's sweet and tender, it ain't tough. Can't you see, I still stay? Even when am not enough. You took the summer from my life, leaving no rain for me to root for. But lover trust me when I say, you got that kinda eyes that could end war. Yea I love you, but I don't like you. I might know the pattern to your breaths, but sweet lord, I wish I could despise you. I was chained to the rythm of your trance, I tried finding shelter in someone else's arms. But GOD I wish I should've kissed you when I had the chance

What happens when hollywood cries When she becomes tired of forging stars out of dust When the tears you put in her eyes cause her to lose her voice Therefore her willpower to let others be heard Have you not heard Hollywood is done with doing favors What happens when she lose her poise Will you too be without grace Hollywood has bare itself Allow you to trespass to collect her treasures What happens when hollywood fails to be your fool Will you listen Or deem her worthless & continue to shatter her till she is left barren

A Modern Feminist Adaptation of the classic 18th century novel JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë. Characters Jane Eyre Mr. Rochester Alex Fairfax (the manager of the Thornfield hall hotel) Helen Burns (a friend of Jane Eyre) Miss Scatchered (teacher at the Lowood School) SCENE I Setting: Modern England, 21st century, 2010 (Jane is checking emails in the computer lab of her school Lowood, where she is doing Public Administration) Jane: Thank God! I have found a better job than a waitress in a coffee shop, I am excited to work in Thornfield hall Hotel. (Enter Helen, a friend of Jane) Helen: Have you got any response? Jane: Yes! (with enthusiasm) Helen: Hurry up! Miss Scatchered is coming, if she finds us here we will be kept in a danger. Jane: Oh Helen, why do you work for her? I promise we will leave this place soon and will find a better livelihood. Helen: I have no other option than to work for her beside my studies and this disease will also not let me to work at any other place. Jane: I promise we will find a better treatment for your disease. (Enter Miss Scatchered) Jane [continued]: I will rescue you from her. Miss Scatchered: Who will rescue whom, and what are you two miserable creatures doing here? Helen, are not you supposed to gather files from my office? Helen: I was ab…outt t.. (Says nervously) Miss Scatchered: And you I think it is your working hour, why are you still here? (asks in a loathsome manner) Jane: Just leaving (She replies with slight anger in her voice). (They all leave) SCENE II Setting: Thornfield Hall Hotel (Enter Alex Fairfaix, the manager and Jane Eyre) Alex: Are you Jane Eyre, the women who applied for the receptionist job? Jane: Yes. Alex: Come, I'll tell you your work. Jane: May I ask why this Hotel is situated in the countryside, far from the city? Alex: It was a Manson inherited by Mr Rochester from his ancestors and he has decided to turn it into a hotel since he does not live here and only visits on occasion to keep an eye on. Jane: I see. Thank you for considering me for this job, I will never disappoint you and your boss. Alex: Alright then. SCENE III Setting: Thornfield Hall (Enter Alex Fairfax, Jane Eyre and some workers of the hotel) Alex: Everyone’s attention is required. Since Mr Rochester will be arrived at any time, I do not want any mess and everything should be in its proper place. I don’t want to give him the impression that we are not working properly in his absence. Clear? Everyone: Yes sir. Jane: Alex, may I ask one thing? There is a restricted area, why are people not allowed to go in the few rooms which are locked? Alex: Well, there is a kind of danger that it. Focus on your work, no more questions. Jane: I noticed a silhouette in the window of one of those rooms when I was walking behind in the garden. Alex: Mr Rochester is just about to arrive. You should restrain yourself from asking such questions in his presence. Jane: I just asked out of curiosity since I read detective stories and have a keen interest in the profession. Such creepy ideas just come to my mind all the time. (Laughs) Alex: Better to pay attention to your work than playing the role of a detective. (Says in a harsh tone) SCENE IV Setting: Thornfield Hall, midnight, and a storm has just blown in (Enter Jane) Jane: Why not visit that restricted area when no one is around? (Thinks out loud. She sneaks to the restricted rooms) Jane [continued]: Why it feels as if there is a presence of someone. (Is startled by the noise of the thunderstorm and hears the sound of shoes approaching.) Jane [continued]:: I should hide. (Someone comes towards the room and unlocks the doors) Who could it be, since no one is allowed to go in these rooms, there might a mystery after all ( Jane leaves) (Voices come from the room, a male and the shrieking voice of a female.) Male voice: Because of these conditions I have to keep you in this room. Only, for this reason, I don’t come to Thornfield Hall. Female voice: Go away! (A flask has been broken). SCENE V Setting: Early morning (Alex calls everyone to the main hall) Alex: I want to inform you all that Mr. Rochester has arrived early this morning and he wants to see every new staff. Jane, follow me since you are the only new member this year. (Jane follows Alex to Mr. Rochester's room). (Enter Mr Rochester) Mr. Rochester: So, you are the new receptionist! I've come to know that you have quite a lot of interest in literature, especially in detective stories? Jane: Yes! Mr. Rochester: I would like a literary session with you tonight. Jane: Ah! Yes, why not (surprisingly) (Mr Rochester exits) Alex: I didn’t know he has an interest in literature and he has never talk to any staff like this before. How strange. Jane: I think I should tell you this. I was going to a nearby market a while back and met him. He had some issues with his car and I helped him. Alex: Then I think you have impressed Mr. Rochester. (Alex laugh) (Alex and Jane exit) SCENE VI Mr. Rochester: Your information gives me the impression that you have done a lot of research. Jane: Thank you, sir, it’s an honor. Mr. Rochester: You may go, Miss Jane. Good night. Jane: Why does my heart start beating so fast when he is around, it seems some force compels me towards him. (She thinks out loud, then hears noises from the restricted area) What was that? I should check it out. ( She goes to the restricted room) Jane: The door is unlocked, I should go in there since no one is around. Female voice: You came again. I said if you come again I would kill you. Jane: Who is in there, may I help you, lady? Female voice: Who are you, good (something hits Jane’s hand, Jane runs and leaves the room) Jane: I should have found out who she is and who went into this room that night. (Jane sees Mr. Rochester going to the garden and she instinctively follows him). Jane [continued]: Mr. Rochester, may I speak with you? Mr. Rochester: Miss Jane you are not supposed to sneak around in the hotel at this hour of the night! What do you want to say. Jane: Ah, I shouldn’t discuss this thing with me, what if he dismisses job? (Jane thinks). Nothing sir, sorry to disturb you. Mr. Rochester: We can have a walk if you like. (They walk in the garden) Miss Jane, will you marry me? I can't keep myself away from you anymore. Jane: What! (Astonished). I didn’t suppose such kind of question. Mr. Rochester: Say yes, Miss Jane. Jane: Please, give me some time. (Jane leaves) SCENE VI (Enter Jane and Mr. Rochester) Jane: Mr. Rochester, I accept your proposal. Mr. Rochester: Then Congratulations, we are going to be married tomorrow. (Late at night, Jane is at the reception, and she again hears voices from the restricted area) Jane: I need to go there, (she sees Mr. Rochester coming from the restricted area). Why he was in there? I must learn about that lady. (Jane enters the restricted room and sees that woman) Jane [continued]: This lady reminds me of the story of “The Yellow Wallpaper”. I can't leave her like this, I must do something. (Jane leaves the room and meets Alex in the hall) Alex: Why you were there, it is restricted. Jane: I want you to tell me who that lady is. I know Mr. Rochester is connected with it. Since I am going to be married to that man, it's my right to know everything. Alex: Well, it is heard that the woman has gone mad and is restricted in that area to be cured. And I regret to say that she is also heard the is the wife of Mr. Rochester. Jane: It's not true?! If it is then I want to help the woman by releasing her from this mental asylum. I am a woman and I can't let any other woman suffer from mental illness. This is the 21st century and people can't possibly still believe in this type of treatment for mental disease. SCENE VII (Enter Mr. Rochester) Mr. Rochester: Where is Jane? I have searched everywhere but I can't find her. (He goes to the restricted area and finds the door opened) Bertha where are you, Bertha Mason! (Mr. Rochester runs towards the hall) The End.

https://www.instagram.com/nightfallreverie?hl=en no place seems gloomy when you become the light source. no path seems unattainable when you become the ray of hope, no sorrow seems melancholic once you see the universe in you the trivial pain appears so mundane once you peek inside your friend's soul. your eyes perpetually seeking happiness, if only you let them rest more; your heart constantly torn apart, if only you stop looking for validation everywhere, this love. if only you demolish the idea of it and dwell in the beauty around you, maybe then you'll realize what you've been searching for was in you all along.

A Post Exchange Reflection On August 4th, 2021, I departed my home country, Lebanon, for an exchange year in rural Iowa. In my mind, I thought that I knew the world inside out. However, as soon as I was on the plane and watched the city of Beirut shrink towards the limit, I realized I didn’t. Among other things, I had to redefine home for myself. Home and House are Not Synonyms The concept of synonyms was introduced to me in 4th grade. ‘Synonyms are words that are interchangeable.’ Home and house were one of the examples we were taught. The two words are similar, so I suppose it wasn’t incorrect. As I grew and began emerging into my almost-adult self, I realized they weren’t completely accurate. When you are born, you are entitled to certain basic human rights, like food to eat, clothes to wear, and a roof over your head — a house. But, the right to a home cannot be guaranteed when you come into this world. A home is not just a house. A house can be a mansion, apartment, or even just a room; with four floors, maybe painted white with a popcorn ceiling, covered with yellow flower-print wallpaper, and a pretty ceiling frame. The walls may be barren or filled with intricate wooden frames painted gold. However it may look, it is a house. A home, on the other hand, is a different story. If you were fortunate enough to be born into a place of love and appreciation, you may have considered that your home. A home does not necessarily consist of walls, ceilings, and pretty paintings hung on the walls. Before I left, I thought my home was the house I grew up in, a humble, middle-class apartment in Aley, a small suburb of Beirut. I thought, surely, I had found my forever home. I am in Fragments During my exchange year, I met so many different people, from the United States and other countries as well (Australia, India, Russia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, Tunisia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Mali, and several other countries), but I also met myself again. Never did I imagine I would meet so many new aspects of myself when I did. As humans, we are collections of what we’ve been over and through, who we meet and interact with, and the experiences that allowed us to leave parts of ourselves there. My exchange allowed me to pin fragments of myself on walls of cities and towns, trees of parks, and with those that I came to love. If Home is where the Heart is… If home is where the heart is, then I found mine in the ashes of the bonfires we danced around. My home is filled with the laughter of my chosen family, and its echoes linger till dawn. Its eyes close shut to the lullabies of their laughs, as do I. My home is in the hugs of those who took me in as their own and sits in the backseat of car rides and sings along to Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran. My home is the gas station coffee walks with the girl whose heart is the kindest I’ve met. My home is in the smiles of the people that made sure I never felt alone. It is in pieces all over the town as landmarks of firsts and lasts, and chapters upon chapters of a story I didn’t want to finish reading. If home is where the heart is, my home is not bound by any painted walls or wooden picture frames; it has no ceiling. My home now knows no bounds. Home, Redefined Home, to me, now has no limits. It is not exclusively a collection of rooms with furniture and some doors. My home shape shifts and transforms. It is like liquid matter and takes the shape of whatever I’ve been through, gotten over, and left a footprint in. It is in the people whose eyes were windows to the world and in the winter that didn’t seem to end. My home is in the families I’m grateful to have been a part of, and of the friends and best of friends that I made and will get to keep in my heart and take with me wherever I go. I live in the streets I walked through, and the conversations I held. I live in the memories I and other people have and in the stories I learnt and taught. I no longer only have one home, as I now have countless. Happy Homecoming I return to my first home, the place I thought the world of, with a new perspective. Instead of a world familiar like the back of my hand, I have another home that I simply can not hold. It is too big, too vast, and too complex to grasp. It is many different understandings of the universe we live in. It is a compilation of people, places, and things. I forever cherish the fragments of people I was gifted with. I come back having lost pieces of me, as well, as I gave them away to people I found at home. So now, I live in fragments all over the Earth. I hope I remind these people of their home, and I hope they found theirs as beautiful as I found mine. I hope they continue to sing our songs with a smile on their face and memories of home in their mind. I hold fragments of people in my heart forever, and every piece has some home, so I know I am never lost.

Acrylic painting on recycled paper, 15x15 cm. https://www.syamhope.com/

Change is apart of living. It something we can not avoid and something that happens naturally. The seasons perfectly reflect the ever-changing nature of a human being and how sometimes relationships that start off as warm and sunny end in bitterness. As the seasons change, we change with the seasons. https://instagram.com/colettembariko?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D I watched the seasons change us; first came the spring, the incipient of it all, so virtuous. As the timorous April rain fell ever so delicate, a vivid memory encapsulated my mind, the infatuation. It was so suffocating, but it was so new. Like a blooming tulip on a unadorned field of green, the exchange of passing glances, the smell of anticipation in the air, I wonder if you felt it too? I watched the seasons change us, the summer had arrived, liberating felicity, bright yellow rays. I took your hand in mine as the balmy July sun laid a kiss upon our blushing faces. Those were our halcyon days, the sweeter nectar of nothing but pure freedom, there is no place I would rather be. In your arms, I felt untouchable- It was you and me in our own sanctuary of affection, you wounded me, I fell for you. I watched the seasons change us, the autumn appeared. The once verdant leaves embodied now the wilting brown, but yet the kisses you lay upon my body are foreign to me. As the October air grows cold, you grow colder, my worries flood my mind. But when I look into your eyes, I still feel nothing but love The nagging whispers that torture me disappear with the passing wind, because your heart belongs to me and I know we are going to be alright. I watched the seasons change us, the winter is here, the esoteric white, the bitter end. The December chill is unforgiving, and sadly for me, you are too. The snow fell soundlessly as you left through the door that morning, taking all the burning tenderness in me with you. I thought to myself this was it, the denouement. Underneath my heart of fire, only ice, nothing more. The gaze that once rendered me weak, fills me with a cold, cold hatred. I watched you leave, and I let you. I watched the seasons change us, Nothing else remains.