If I Could Leave
by Heba Elnaami
Genre: Prose
Written by Heba Elnaami and narrated by May Calamawy
This audio © 2026 by Heba Elnaami
This poem was born in the midst of suffering, where fire closes in from one side, and famine and siege from the other. Every road out is sealed, every horizon beyond reach. Perhaps I was born only to remain here, in a place I have spent my life dreaming of leaving.
about the author
"I’m Heba Ali Elnaami, a 25 year old writer and poet from Gaza, where I was born and raised. I studied English Literature at Al-Azhar University in Gaza with a deep passion for language and storytelling.
I have lived through circumstances that were far from easy, and I have had to resist them in every way just to remain here. Today, I continue to write my poems, my stories, and the pieces of life I carry with me as a way of making sense of what I have lived through and keeping my voice alive."
Heba on Instagram: instagram.com/heba.alin/
support Heba
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about the narrator
May Calamawy is a Palestinian-Egyptian actress known for her roles in the Marvel Studios series Moon Knight, Hulu comedy-drama series Ramy, and films including The Actor and Lee Cronin's The Mummy.
May will be appearing in the play Samira at the National Theatre next spring.
May Calamawy on Instagram: instagram.com/calamawy/