Author Archives: Sabrina Rubakovic

The Individual vs. Institutions   In Qatar, there is basically one tier of citizenship—being Qatari. Institutions have largely been created by this citizenry in the past 50 years in order to bolster their own power, welfare, and status beyond the constraints of the realities of history and the nation’s past. In Cairo, citizenship is stratified … Continue reading »

Kids This is a poem inspired by Cairo, engaging themes such as inevitable loss of innocence in difficult circumstances. The children sat together cigarettes in palms like Christmas trees on fire. Tassles of smoke twirl like thoughts. When had they lost the last ashes until all that remained was sinew and paper and a hole … Continue reading »

Summaya and Ahmed This is a short story inspired by Cairo, aiming to be a metaphor for the difficulties of navigating individual lives against an oppressive and rigid government.  Summaya appreciated Ahmed most for his honesty. If there was no food to be eaten that day, he would tell her straightforward. He was strong enough … Continue reading »