The speaker is an observant community member living in a neighborhood undergoing a demographic transition. They are deeply connected to their physical environment and rely on the older generation for a sense of local history. Confronted with the steady loss of their older neighbors, the speaker experiences intense anxiety and feels overwhelmed by the realization of how much local knowledge will permanently disappear.

The elders are the older residents of the speaker's neighborhood who are steadily passing away. They serve as the keepers of the community's history, holding the collective memory of the area's past. Though physically absent, they leave behind tangible traces in their yards, including narcissus flowers, gravestones, housecoats, cupcakes, and the distinct cultural marker of their formal phrasing.

Aziz Shihab is a refugee originally from Jerusalem who spends his life searching for a sense of place. Once a confident schoolboy in his youth, he maintains a connection to his past by picking up and pocketing stones from alleyways. His life experiences demonstrate the loss of inherited traditions and past homes.

The Child is the narrator of the poem "Refugee Not Always," observing their father's habits and history. They struggle with the realization that their father had an entire life and identity as a confident schoolboy in Jerusalem before becoming a refugee. This distance creates a sense of separation between the parent they know and the boy he used to be.