By Day And By Night
I've been known for talking in my sleep. Whenever I've spent the night as a guest in someone's home, I've always received a report in the morning on what I said while dreaming.
Last night I spent the night in the city rather than go home late on the subway. After getting up this morning, I asked my host: "Did I talk in my sleep last night? People have always told me that I do."
"Yes, you did. You even responded to me when I talked back to you."
"Really. What did I say?"
"You said, 'I want my mother to see me. I want my mother to see me.' and I asked you 'Why?'
You said, 'Because no one sees the Palestinian people.' Then I asked you, 'Why doesn't anyone see the Palestinian people?,' and you said, "Because they are under occupation.'"
My recent trip to the West Bank of the Occupied Territories has had a profound effect on me. I still continue to think of it by day and dream of it by night.