Summary

“Palmyra” is a poem dedicated to Khaled al-Asaad, a Syrian archaeologist who was beheaded for refusing to reveal the location of the hidden treasures in the ancient city of Palmyra. In the poem, the speaker laments al-Asaad’s death, interweaving brief images of the man’s beheading with contemplations on the impacts and implications of his murder. In the second stanza, the speaker describes al-Asaad’s face in a picture they once saw, celebrating him as an “irreplaceable/jewel” and for his dedication to his work and his honor.

In “Unburnable the Cold Is Flooding Our Lives” the speaker explores various forms of loss. In the beginning of the poem they claim prophets still exist, but we have just lost the ability to recognize them. They go on to cite the poet Rumi, who supposedly said “the two most important things in life...