When the hurricane swirled and spread its deluge of dark evil onto the good green land ‘They’ gloated. The western skies reverberated with joyous accounts: “The tree has fallen! The great trunk is smashed! The hurricane leaves no life in the Tree!” Had the Tree really fallen? Never! Not with our red streams flowing forever, not while the wine of our torn limbs feeds the thirst roots, Arab roots alive tunneling deep, deep, into the land! When the Tree rises up, the branches shall flourish green and fresh in the sun the laughter of the Tree shall leaf beneath the sun and birds shall return Undoubtedly, the birds shall return. The birds shall return.

- Fadwa Tuqan (1917-2003), Palestinian poet