No More and No Less
In the first person, a woman describes her identity. She does not like to be confused with the feminine image, a photograph of her person or the gossip of her friend or any impression of herself. She is a constant force of affection and reliability. As she sees herself, she is a part of a dual cycle. She fits in with the masculine, the way he fits in with her. And one day she will die.
In Her Absence I Created Her Image
Heartbroken, the narrator imagines his ex-girlfriend is in the hillside. He travels around, guided by her absence. In a realization of the past, he understands that his unconscious is at work to facilitate this experience, but when he hears her voice, he's already awake again. It was all a dream.
Who Am I, Without Exile?
Darwish's time in Egypt has become a part of his identity. Now he is almost afraid to return to Palestine. The familiar all around him feels like home, but he has a weighty tie that keep calling to him from his homeland. More than anything, the unknown of his situation is what tortures him.
I Have a Seat in the Abandoned Theater
The narrator is sitting in a hostage situation after a play. He just noted how confusing the plot was, when the actors start clamoring for the author to show himself. Although he is not the author, the narrator feels compelled to take cation. When he does find the author, he conspires to take power back from the actors as a team.
