I am from there. I am from here.

I am not there and I am not here.

I have two names, which meet and part,

and I have two languages.

I forget which of them I dream in.

—Mahmoud Darwish

Life is a relentless expulsion from where we come from and an ongoing deportation to alien realms. We are in exile and our greatest dream is to return to the lost land. It is the greatest dream because no matter how long our exile is going to last, the dream will remain. It is the greatest dream because when we finally care only for this dream, then our exile will be over.

—Franco Santoro

What’s curious, what’s absurd is that despite

the fact I save the messages and cries

from all my memories and from

every cardinal point

what’s strange what’s incredible is that despite

my bleak expectations

I don’t know what the wind of exile is saying.

—Mario Benedetti

Let the punishment be proportionate to the offense.

—Marcus T. Cicero