What does it mean to be wounded by war? In Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha’s debut poetry collection, — and the very first collection from any Gazan poet to be published in English — the Pulitzer prize-winning writer bleeds out on paper.

“When is tomorrow? What is freedom? How long does it last?” Published in April 2022 and written during the Israeli bombing of Gaza, Palestine in May 2021, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear is a painfully raw, and emotionally grueling foray into the mind of a Palestinian man in Gaza haunted by past, present, and future. Across the paperback’s 144 pages and 50 poems, Abu Toha traces the Palestinian experience across a lifetime of unrelenting — and horrifying — devastation.

This may be a short book, but it is not a quick read. The poet’s words are clear-cut, ungarnished — there is no purple prose to be found, no poetic embellishments. Nothing but the ugly truth is laid out across the collection’s length. Abu Toha writes of fading memories of homes left behind, music that has gone years unplayed, neighbors never to be seen again, and the pain — and guilt — that comes with leaving home behind.

“The scent of coffee still hangs in the air. But where is the kitchen?” In one particular poem, My City After What Happened Some Time Ago, Abu Toha features a series of photographs showcasing a war-torn Gaza, accompanied by his brief yet harrowing commentary. The poet seeks to remind the reader that these words are reflective of a tangible reality, one that is less reality and more a real-time nightmare.

WHERE TO GET IT - You can find Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear as an eBook on Amazon and Storytel, or place a special order for it from The Bookspot.

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