Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry—

I cried.

I was worried that I wouldn’t love this collection as much as Things You May Fine Hidden in My Ear but it was just as beautiful—perhaps even more emotional, given its reflections on the past year.

My favourite poems were “My Grandfather’s Well”, “We Are Looking For Palestine”, “My Library”, “Request Letter”, the titular “Forest of Noise”, and “To My Mother, Staying in an UNRWA School Shelter in the Jabalia Camp”.

Even the Acknowledgments section was heartbreaking: “To […] May you survive to read this. May I sign you copies of this book in Gaza soon. I wish my words would turn into clouds that could protect you and all our neighbors and friends from the bombs”