The Sea and the Horizon

The Sea and the Horizon, is a fascinating mosaic of memory, grief, beauty, and longing through the distilled elegance of Zen-inflected poetry. Inspired by Japanese haikus, this collection traverses the spiritual and emotional landscapes of the self and the world, where each poem becomes a corridor opening onto the different waves of feelings bought by life. The collection is divided into five poetic seasons― Season of the Cold Winds, Season of the Cherry Blossom, Season of the Sweltering Heat, The Season of Hiding, and The Season of Crying. From the flush cherry blossoms and the ache of autumn leaves to the salt-heavy winds of loss, Al-Ghanem's haikus carry the reader through the unceasing rhythms of time and tenderness. Love echoes in each fragment, each image―a heron in stillness, a shadow over sand, and a single cloud “guarding the ocean”―they become a vessel for vast, unspoken emotions. Translated with remarkable sensitivity by Ibrahim Fawzy, the poems shimmer with minimalist intensity while evoking a profound emotional experience―solitude, nostalgia, rage, reverence, hope, and the weight of letting go. Al-Ghanem's voice is intimate and gentle, as if whispering directly into the soul. Filled with quiet storms, this is a book for anyone who’s ever waited by the window for a letter that never came. The Sea and the Horizon offerssolace, reflection, and luminous companionship.