The Depth of Black Memory

About this book

Hussein Al-Ali opens a window onto memories that remain after stories appear to end. Combining the discipline of classical verse with the heat of personal experience, he confronts absence as another form of presence. The poems move between grief and hope, betrayal and recovery, spiritual meditation and romantic tenderness. At times the poet declares pride in his Iraqi and Sumerian roots; at others he yields to longing and the power of beauty. The collection asks readers to listen to memories rather than bury them.