I am about as rooted as they come – the great great great great granddaughter of German immigrant farmers on the Great Plains, where I grew up. Fresh out of college, I chose to uproot myself to become an international aid worker.
Make no mistake. Severing from my home was so, so fundamentally different than displacement. So different from those who don’t have a choice to leave their homes due to violence and subjugation, slavery and trafficking, climate displacement, economic migration, and Indigenous Peoples who are displaced “within.”
The forthcoming book by Nora Lester Murad and Danna Masad, Rest in My Shade: A Poem About Roots, was written to spark discussion about what is universal about the experience of displacement (survival? the concept of home?), and inspire discussion and action to address today’s global refugee and migration crises. The 8″x8″ hardback features fine art by 18 Palestinian artists living around the world, and is for adults and children alike. Nora, who is a contributor to Smart Risks, asked me to review the book, but truly, I come up short.
The book is beyond words. It’s stunning. It’s stark. It’s…poetry.
An ancient olive tree is uprooted. It speaks for itself.
Just…listen.
Rest in My Shade is available for pre-order on Amazon.
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