The Deceitful Gathering

About this book

Have you ever felt, at the height of the crowd, amid companions' laughter and family noise, that you are utterly alone? That strange feeling whispering in your ear that the faces you see are nothing but masks, and the affection surrounding you may not withstand the first real storm. In the collection 'The Deceitful Gathering,' poet Rabab Al-Basiony takes us on a courageous journey and an honest unmasking of what lies behind closed doors and embellished smiles. This work is not merely composed verses but a mirror that does not flatter, reflecting the truth of our human relationships in an age when appearances overwhelmed essences. The collection's tone progresses between the pain of disappointment and the bitterness of isolation amid the crowd, and the hope coming from 'strangers' who may be closer to you than your jugular vein in hard times. The author sails us from 'the valley of childhood' with its pure memories to 'the city of dreams' where we may wake to find ourselves alone, to learn one eternal lesson: that honesty is a rare currency, and that certainty stands only with.