Originally Published 12/12/2021
Travelling
By Mark Borillo
Original
A morning in Barcelona,
em perdo pels carrers del Born.
Em trenco com una ona,
recordo el meu malson.
Midday in Paris,
je ne comprends pas mon existence.
Épouses et maris
se déplacent en consonance.
Afternoon in Firenze,
forse penso a lei.
Ricordo tempi più
felici,
quando vivevo il mio apogei.
Sunset in Lisbon,
Eu conheci uma mulher interessante.
Conversamos até tarde.
A aleatoriedade da vida é emocionante.
Midnight in Granada,
un paseo por la Alhambra.
Acepto mi condición humana.
Un nuevo yo a la vida ama.
A new sunrise here in Newcastle.
A new beginning is about to happen.
A new life full of excitement.
A new happy version of me is finally rising.
English Translation
A morning in Barcelona,
I get lost in the streets of El Born
Myself crashes like a wave,
I remember this nightmare.
Midday in Paris,
I don’t understand my existence.
Wives and husbands
move accordingly.
Afternoon in Firenze,
maybe I think about her.
I remember happier times,
when I lived my apogee.
Sunset in Lisbon,
I meet an interesting woman.
We talk until late.
The randomness of life is exciting.
Midnight in Granada,
a walk through la Alhambra.
I accept my human condition.
A new me loves life.
A new sunrise here in Newcastle.
A new beginning is about to happen.
A new life full of excitement.
A new happy version of me is finally rising.
About this piece
General Themes: This poem talks about the evolution that our narrator has, and the story is told through his trips. As he goes to different cities, his mental health, his perception of life and his concerns, change. We all associate places with memories or feelings. The narrator tells his story through the cities he has been in. This poem is an emotional/geographical trip. Each three last lines of each paragraph is written in the language spoken in the city that the narrator talks about (Catalan in Barcelona, French in Paris, Italian in Firenze, Portuguese in Lisbon, Spanish in Granada and English in Newcastle), so the reader has a superior immersion in the story.
About the Author
Marc Borillo is an aspiring Spanish writer from Barcelona. He is currently studying Media and Journalism at Northumbria University and in his free time he writes short stories, poems and novels.