This poet waits for you by the sea, where the occupation troops stand, and the lemon, olive, and fig trees are blowing; as he listens to a broken man spills his guts out over a demolished building gone in a flash, by the forces of "the mighty chosen people/ who roamed the same sand/ forty years to be exact. Pay back is a bitch they say/ it's my turn to live in the Diaspora." This is an indispensable & moving collection, artfully fashioned from facts on the ground. Angelo Verga- poet of six collections of poetry books/ curator of poetry readings, widely published, anthologized and translated. Bronxpoet 1@gmail.com "An ardent advocate for the rights of Palestinians, Farid Bitar makes their struggles felt and understood to people here in the United States through music, poetry, art and activism. Farid brings us into full contact with the painful situation in Palestine while conveying a vivid sense of longing for the beauty of his homeland." Anne Fiero-Poet/Radio host 89.9FM-wkcr-NYC - www.annecammon.com Farid Bitar writes powerfully of loss, longing, and what can never be forgotten, what is inscribed in blood and bone. His is the poetry of exile and expatriation--"Between yearning/ And a distant glare/ Far away voices." Here is tenderness and righteous indignation--what Coleridge said of poetry: "the reconcilement of opposites." Here's a poetry of extraordinary, sometimes jolting, juxtapositions: "The whole world/ Thinks I am a terrorist./ But in reality I am a lover/ Misunderstood." Gary Corseri/ Journalist/ poet/ playwright gary_corseri@gmail.com Farid Bitar reveals himself as a human being, and then reveals to us all of his identity... American/Palestinian, lover of ancient dust covered paths. We hear rage, pain, loss and deep wells of compassion for all who are caught up in the senseless tragedy of power politics and its currency... loss of life and common humanity. Farid asks us in all of his poems..."Can you find your moral compass and walk with me towards that place? Marcia Kannry, Founder of The Dialogue Project www.thedialogueproject.org Where other well-meaning poets might only wring their hands and rant about 'causes' they believe in, Farid Bitar puts his whole heart into telling what he actually lived. Brant Lyon- poet/composer/producer - www.logochrysalis.com