Project director's note: Recently, the Swiss publisher Lenos issued our first volume of essays and poetry, in German! We now have started the arduous process of getting one of our writers, Basman Derawi (who has 17 poems in the book!), out of Gaza to tour Germany and Switzerland with Malak Mattar, the artist whose drawings illustrate the volume (and who is studying in Turkey). 

After years of struggling,
I have finally found
a magical remedy
for excess weight.

Now you can say
that I wake up
every day with
trousers a little looser
and a T shirt a little baggier.

My secret:
Applying for a visa
to visit Europe from Gaza.

The stress builds every day:
I literally forget to eat.
I run like a thousand miles
to get the required papers,
then run it all again when they say,
“One more thing…”
or,
“But you need to write it this way.”

I also sleep better
after an exhausting day.

And this is only “stage 1”
they tell me.
Next comes the struggle
to get out of Gaza. 
Soon, you won’t even see me!