A Sojourner’s Return
In the mist of London’s gray,
I discover the joy of learning and yearning,
Surrounded by sea of familiar strangers,
yet I was a stranger to my own reflection.
Boston is my battlefield of sweet-sorrow,
Coffee stained stories told over
insomnia cookies and subway grates
Here I exist, but I do not belong.
Now, I return,
to the familiar taste of rain,
yet I find myself a welcomed stranger,
Here I belong, but I do not exist.
I tried on languages like clothes,
but none have settled on my skin,
the zephyr whispering my name
waiting to be claimed.
@ZenArashi
What a wonderful poem. I was fascinated by it's themes of self discovery, inner conflict and external displacement. There was some really excellent and nuanced lines in it. The opening is so strong, "In the mist of London's gray". It is so rich with layers; the damp grey colour of the streets and concrete that makes up the bones of the city, but also the dreary ambience laced with just a suggestion of ephemeral wonder, or even the impersonal drudgery of the city. Yet it is still more, the mist coming across as a metaphor for the elements of wonderment, and the gray as the embodiment of the disconnect and emotional blunting. The line alone sets up the timbre for the entire piece.
The repeated refences to being the stranger emphasises the otherness, as well as hinting at the lonely journey, both physical and intellectual. But it is dynamic and fluid. The narrator is no stodgy naval starer, but rather an emotional explorer who "tried on languages like clothes". This cultural chameleon is both delving into these different lives and yet ever separate from them. The wistful ending is particularly lovely, as it makes the poem end so gently. Rather than a bitterness at being the outsider, the narrator reflects that whilst they have not yet found their emotional/spiritual home, the warm wind of the traveller still calls out to them, suggesting a hope that one day they will find their true home.
I thought the picture you chose very apt. I can well imagine your poem being the opening lines of a protagonist in a contemplative Hayao Miyazaki anime.
I enjoyed your poem greatly.
@BastionKnight
Wow. 🙏🏼
Thank you so much for your insightful feedback, Knight! I'm humbled on how you broke down the layers in my poem, and being able to identify my personal journeys of self-discovery, cultural exploration and the search for belonging.
I’ve always considered myself a hopeful anomaly as I lived, studied and traveled to various places.
Whoah, the mere suggestion this poem as an opening to Miyazaki’s film put me in cloud nine! I was listening to Always with me - Spirited Away OST as I was writing this. Thanks again, Knight. I’m elated that you enjoy reading my poems.
@ZenArashi Knight’s already given such a thorough analysis of this, and it’s so astute, I’m not sure there’s much more to add! But as someone who’s had to move around a lot and live in different places, I have to say this poem really hits home for me. Home isn't just a single place for me either – it's a feeling, a combination of moments, but always just out of reach in some way.
"Now, I return,
Words can’t even describe it--- especially that "welcomed stranger who belongs but does not exist." That feeling of being both part of and apart from a place is captured so perfectly here. You’ve put into words something so complex and raw – it’s truly beautiful. * sending virtual hugs, if they are welcomed *