Traveller
in a foreign city
Up and down, step by step through the twisting streets
that wind out of context, knowingly aloof
under their bulk of history that isn’t mine.
We have nothing in common but the cobblestones
set on tripping my feet
at every bend of the wynd.
The echoes that laugh off
the wonky rhythm of precarious boots,
my tongue stumbling over untamed sounds,
and no ear for accents.
Without fitting in,
I have to sit, a stranger among strangers,
hidden behind a cup,
peeking at passers-by who fake obliviousness to curious stares.
With every gulp of unknown air I keep
losing myself a little
and finding space within.
About the Creator
Katarzyna Popiel
A translator, a writer. Two languages to reconcile, two countries called home.
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
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Violence Begets
"Any last words, cowboy?" "None you'd understand, sodbuster." "Funny. That's Marshall Sodbuster to you. But I meant some last nugget that would help us in the adjudication of the myriad offenses counted against you and your gang. I wasn't asking for penitence."
By Adam Diehl6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (27)
Katarzyna, stunning poetry. A bit late to the party but congratulations on your top story and on your second place win in Gabriel's challenge.
So beautifully written, Katarzyna! Congrats on second place in Gabriel's challenge! 🎉
Back to say congrats 👏
Congrats, Katarzyna!! Such a beautiful piece and very deserving of the recognition!!
Congrats on your placement! Well done. 🙂
Well deserved Top Story & placing in the challenge… I identified closely with your poem😃.
Congratulations!
Sometimes, the more we wander, the more we learn about ourselves. Congratulations on top story.
Thank you for the new word for me wynd. Congratulations on well-deserved top story. So much sadness/depression in this poem.❤️
Wonderful work. Congratulations
Simple, yet powerful and impactful. Great work, congratulations!✨✨
I loved your use of the word 'Wynd' in the poem. It's not a term I was familiar with until now. It reminds me of peering into the dark winding alleyways of those quaint seaside villages around Britain. I find them quite intriguing. The echoes that laugh off the wonky rhythm of precarious boots, my tongue stumbling over untamed sounds, and no ear for accents. These are my favourite lines from this wonderful poem Katarzyna. Really clever!
A delightful poem & experience in a foreign place✅💖.
Wow. This was absolutely brill. I loved your line about only having the cobblestones in common. Such a great top story. Well done.
Simply beautiful, especially the ending. Congrats on the TS.
good job
That line about "losing yourself a little and finding space within" is just... ugh, perfect. It’s like you’re not just wandering through streets but through yourself. Congratulations on getting to story🤗
Lovely written. Here is mine. https://shopping-feedback.today/authors/danielle-mosley-rrf0n40ghs%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
back to say congrats!
I especially love the last two lines ☺
This fairly echoes with loneliness, Katarzyna. Beautiful poetry and a wonderful entry to the challenge!
love love love this! so relatable as others have said is swinging dance between thhe uncertain and unknown and the anticipation and adventure! may be reading too deeply but this feels like it could speak to when you moved over here? regardless, it is stunning!
This is absolutely brilliant - D.K. said it first, it truly captures the mixture of tension and wonder that is experiencing a new place...definitely gives me adventurous, wanderlust-rich feelings. Thank you so much for submitting this beautiful to piece!
oh wow! This was terrific! Definitely captured that sense of discomfort but yet with a sense of adventure that has given me a fresh dose of wanderlust
This is so good, the feeling of being the outsider was clear. We’ve all been there and you nailed it. ‘I have to sit, a stranger among strangers, hidden behind a cup. ‘ This thought flows right through with your perfect final line.