Country

I ASKED MOROCCO TO be my country

and it was not my country

and I asked Spain to be my country

and it no longer was

I asked Israel to be my country

and still it was not my country

I asked exile to be my country.

I wanted the Hebrew language to be my country

but it did not return my love

I wanted Spanish to be my country

and it was not granted

I pleaded the birds for directions

they spoke to me of clouds

talked to my Moroccan grandfathers

and they spoke to me of Spain

talked with them about Spain

they answered me Jerusalem

spoke of Jerusalem

they talked about the shrine

spoke about the shrine

they talked about Lucena

spoke about Lucena

They answered: Granada.

I sat them altogether at one table

and asked them where my country is

A big silence exploded

and with that silence I walk the streets

seeking another silence.