The Way of Life

About this book

The collection The Way of Life by poet Abdel-Jaleel Gamal El-Sheikh comes like a gentle breeze whispering the secrets of the authentic Egyptian soul. This poetic work written in Egyptian colloquial Arabic carries within its folds a deep human journey beginning in the heart of a young man exposed to mockery and belittlement, transforming into a poetic voice that captivates hearts and moves feelings. The collection includes a varied set of poems tackling different aspects of the human experience, from love and separation to family and homeland, from intimate memories to daily suffering. The poet is distinguished by his ability to capture sincere moments and express them in simple popular language that is nonetheless moving and deep. The collection's themes vary between delicate love poems like Love Poem and In Love with Veiled Women, moving family poems like Thanks dedicated to his sister and The Lady of All honoring his mother, in addition to poems of friendship and loyalty like To My Friend Taha Gamal. He also touches on social and political issues in poems like Palestine and Words of Light. What distinguishes this collection is its emotional sincerity and expressive simplicity; the poet does not put on airs in his language.