mrspenningalovesbooks's review
5.0
I couldn’t put this down. A small, but powerful collection of poetry giving voice, Imagery, and complexity to the lives that see war, immigration, and prejudice. Buy it!
elianachow's review
5.0
I am utterly unequipped and unqualified to write a review of these astonishing poems other than: Please, everyone must read these. Even if you’re not a poetry person. I will literally buy you a copy or lend you my own (if you promise to take good care of it).
Easily an all-time favorite. The vivid way Tuffaha crafts images, sounds, meaning, and prayer is unmatched.
Easily an all-time favorite. The vivid way Tuffaha crafts images, sounds, meaning, and prayer is unmatched.
cstefko's review
5.0
5 stars
Water & Salt reads like a conversation between the reader and the author. At times she is impassioned, at others imploring, but always affecting. Tuffaha writes about the diaspora experience and about the past and present of her homelands. I found myself bookmarking nearly every other poem, the collection is that strong. But a few stood out particularly for me: the opening poem "Upon Arrival" deals with the suspicion Muslim people face when traveling; "Immigrant" is a recollection of fleeing a war-torn city and trying to hold onto the memories of that place; "Dhayaa'" is a linguistic study of grief; my favorite poem in the collection, "Tu'burni" begins with an epigraph that explains the translation and meaning of the title, and follows with one of the most devastating poems I've ever read; and "Running Orders," where the speaker pretends at conversation with a bomber and hits upon the senselessness and depersonalization of civilian bombing. Nothing is taken for granted by the speakers in these poems; they brace for the worst, and we hear their rage and grief in every line. "Ruin" does this especially well, calling out those who would mourn historical buildings and artifacts before sparing a thought for the people affected by war. I could go on and on about this collection, but really I just want to say that it's a must-read. I will say the last section did not move me as much as the first two sections, but they were quieter poems, more focused on family life. I really look forward to reading more from Tuffaha in the future.
Water & Salt reads like a conversation between the reader and the author. At times she is impassioned, at others imploring, but always affecting. Tuffaha writes about the diaspora experience and about the past and present of her homelands. I found myself bookmarking nearly every other poem, the collection is that strong. But a few stood out particularly for me: the opening poem "Upon Arrival" deals with the suspicion Muslim people face when traveling; "Immigrant" is a recollection of fleeing a war-torn city and trying to hold onto the memories of that place; "Dhayaa'" is a linguistic study of grief; my favorite poem in the collection, "Tu'burni" begins with an epigraph that explains the translation and meaning of the title, and follows with one of the most devastating poems I've ever read; and "Running Orders," where the speaker pretends at conversation with a bomber and hits upon the senselessness and depersonalization of civilian bombing. Nothing is taken for granted by the speakers in these poems; they brace for the worst, and we hear their rage and grief in every line. "Ruin" does this especially well, calling out those who would mourn historical buildings and artifacts before sparing a thought for the people affected by war. I could go on and on about this collection, but really I just want to say that it's a must-read. I will say the last section did not move me as much as the first two sections, but they were quieter poems, more focused on family life. I really look forward to reading more from Tuffaha in the future.
spacestationtrustfund's review
3.0
The za'atar of poetry. The second half, which has more overly political poems, is definitely the best. It really gets going with "Running Orders," my personal favourite:
They call us now,
before they drop the bombs.
The phone rings
and someone who knows my first name
calls and says in perfect Arabic
“This is David.”
And in my stupor of sonic booms and glass-shattering symphonies
still smashing around in my head
I think, Do I know any Davids in Gaza?
They call us now to say
Run.
You have 58 seconds from the end of this message.
Your house is next.
They think of it as some kind of
war-time courtesy.
It doesn’t matter that
there is nowhere to run to.
It means nothing that the borders are closed
and your papers are worthless
and mark you only for a life sentence
in this prison by the sea
and the alleyways are narrow
and there are more human lives
packed one against the other
more than any other place on earth
Just run.
We aren’t trying to kill you.
It doesn’t matter that
you can’t call us back to tell us
the people we claim to want aren’t in your house
that there’s no one here
except you and your children
who were cheering for Argentina
sharing the last loaf of bread for this week
counting candles left in case the power goes out.
It doesn’t matter that you have children.
You live in the wrong place
and now is your chance to run
to nowhere.
It doesn’t matter
that 58 seconds isn’t long enough
to find your wedding album
or your son’s favorite blanket
or your daughter’s almost completed college application
or your shoes
or to gather everyone in the house.
It doesn’t matter what you had planned.
It doesn’t matter who you are.
Prove you’re human.
Prove you stand on two legs.
Run.
sillyolesara's review
5.0
this. all of this. i read it all aloud to myself in one sitting. i really felt it in 'newsworthy,' 'running orders,' and 'naming it.' and m, of course, the title poem.