i left Libya with its sand in my sandals,
the sea pressing warmth into my skin
i left the call to prayer, and
the land that once knew my name.
i left with all my family still there–
their joy infecting spaces i’ll never return to.
i left the beach house where summers felt endless,
the sea hitting the shore like it knew my name
the war took it all.
it took the streets i once knew,
and replaced them with dust.
it took the faces i loved,
the sound of the sea,
and replaced them with screams of terror.
Libya is what i lost,
but also it is what i carry.
though it’s lost,
its roots forever shape me,
and guide me forward.
