Bochra Benaissa

“Islands are metaphors of the heart, no matter what poet says otherwise.”
― Jeanette Winterson, Sexing the Cherry

“The Ethiops say that their gods are flat-nosed and black,
While the Thracians say that theirs have blue eyes and red hair.
Yet if cattle or horses or lions had hands and could draw,
And could sculpt like men, then the horses would draw their gods
Like horses, and cattle like cattle; and each they would shape
Bodies of gods in the likeness, each kind, of their own.”
― Xenophanes

“Beyond Islam and unbelief there is a desert plain. For us, there is a passion in the midst of that expanse. The knower who reaches there will prostrate, there is neither Islam nor unbelief, nor any 'where' in that place.”
― Rumi

“ﺃﺧﻔﻲ ﺍﻟﻬﻮﻯ ﻭﻣﺪﺍﻣﻌﻲ ﺗﺒﺪﻳﻪ
ﻭﺃﻣﻴﺘﻪ ﻭﺻﺒﺎﺑﺘﻲ ﺗﺤﻴﻴﻪ

ﻭﻣﻌﺬﺑﻲ ﺣﻠﻮ ﺍﻟﺸﻤﺎﺋﻞ ﺃﻫﻴﻒ
ﻗﺪ ﺟﻤﻌﺖ ﻛﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺎﺳﻦ ﻓﻴﻪ

ﻓﻜﺄﻧﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﺴﻦ ﺻﻮﺭﺓ ﻳﻮﺳﻒ
ﻭﻛﺄﻧﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﺰﻥ ﻣﺜﻞ ﺃﺑﻴﻪ

ﻳﺎ ﻣﺤﺮﻗﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺎﺭ ﻭﺟﻪ ﻣﺤﺒﻪ
ﻣﻬﻼً ﻓﺈﻥ ﻣﺪﺍﻣﻌﻲ ﺗﻄﻔﻴﻪ

ﺃﺣﺮﻕ ﺑﻬﺎ ﺟﺴﺪﻱ ﻭﻛﻞ ﺟﻮﺍﺭﺣﻲ
ﻭﺍﺣﺮﺹ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻗﻠﺒﻲ ﻓﺈﻧﻚ ﻓﻴﻪ

ﺇﻥ ﺃﻧﻜﺮ ﺍﻟﻌﺸﺎﻕ ﻓﻴﻚ ﺻﺒﺎﺑﺘﻲ
ﻓﺄﻧﺎ ﺍﻟﻬﻮﻯ ﻭﺍﺑﻦ ﺍﻟﻬﻮﻯ ﻭﺃﺧﻴﻪ”
― ابن الفارض