The Final Door
by Jomana Zaqout
Genre: Poetry
Written by Jomana Zaqout and narrated by Marcia Cross
This audio Copyright ©2025 by Jomana Zaqout
Part of the GAZA: heard series of poems, written by inhabitants of Gaza, read by acting talents from stage and screen
'The Final Door' is part of a series of poems created by students living in Gaza. Written by Jomana Zaqout and read by Marcia Cross, the poem represents the undulant bouts of hope and futility of life in Gaza.
With special thanks to the Qattan Foundation, a charity operating in Gaza, for connecting us with some of the most talented creatives among us.
about the author
Jomana Zaqout is from Gaza City and has found expression through her poetry:
“I started writing poetry when this cruel war began, because I needed a way to formulate my hard times. Poetry was a way to speak my tears, sighs, screams and cries. My inspiration for writing is the urge to deliver the truth, our reality, to the world.”
Already published here in audio form, as well as in print with Al-Qattan, Jomana has dreams of becoming a famous poet and having her words translated into different languages across the world. But more than that, Jomana hopes to makes Palestinian voices audible to the rest of the world.
“I hope to return my people’s rights, by the power of the word and the poem.”
about the narrator
A graduate of The Juilliard School, Marcia began her career at The Williamstown Theatre Festival, followed by “Twelfth Night,” at the Hartford Stage Company and The Old Globe Theater where she was cast as Viola in “Twelfth Night” and Silvia in “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” After a very long theatre hiatus, she made her off -Broadway debut in 2023 as Lana Holt in the new play, Pay the Writer, by Tawni O’Dell and recently finished a successful run of the John Robbie Baitz play “The Substance of Fire” opposite Rob Morrow at the Ruskin Theatre in Santa Monica.
Among her numerous television credits, she is best known for her role as Bree Van de Kamp on the long running hit series Desperate Housewives. She will also always be remembered for her portrayal of Kimberly Shaw on the cult classic Melrose Place, as well as her role opposite Treat Williams, on the critically acclaimed Everwood.
Recently Variety named Marcia’s performance of Bree Van De Kamp one of the greatest performances of the 21st century.
You can find Marcia on Instagram at @reallymarcia