The ongoing protests in Egypt are sparking more then just political and social unrest; the events in Tahrir Square are also inspiring new cultural creations. Egyptian poet and Georgetown University Visiting Professor Tamim al-Barghouti wrote a poem about the protests — roughly translated “Oh Egypt, It’s Close” — that was immediately photocopied and has been read over and over. He tells Kurt about the risky position of poets under the current regime and his hopes for the future.

Tamim al-Barghouti recites his poem "In Jerusalem" in 2007: