Zeitoun

By AL JUAN RUSLI

Zeitoun is a powerful collection of poetry that traces a land's journey from ancient abundance to modern struggle, told through metaphor and symbol rather than explicit political language.

Through sixteen lyrical chapters, Malaysian poet Al Juan Rusli weaves the story of a thriving crossroads where diverse communities once flourished under olive groves, until surveyors arrived with maps that would change everything. Following families who flee with keys to homes they believe await their return, and children born in exile who dream of groves they've never seen, these poems reveal how one land's suffering becomes a wound that stirs the world's heart.

Written in response to daily news of violence and destruction, Zeitoun employs the Arabic concept of Sumud: steadfast resistance rooted in dignity-to fight darkness with words of hope.

The collection shows how communities preserve memory and song across generations of displacement, how global solidarity rises in response to injustice, and how love becomes the foundation for rebuilding.

From ancient ports to a final vision of hands planting seedlings in scarred soil, this collection offers both witness and healing. It speaks to anyone who has known loss, displacement, or the transformative power of collective action.

Zeitoun is poetry that transcends borders, reaching hearts where politics cannot, and affirming that even in humanity's darkest moments, dawn will always claim the earth.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FSWWMDGM
• ISBN13: 9798267227025
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"