Leaving Berlin - Ian Lilburne

And so with sadness
I leave Berlin
A double sadness
At leaving a city
I’ve come to love
And starting the homeward journey
Of abandoning a place
I sense could better define
The terrain of my soul
For one I fear no longer shall

Strange that a mere two weeks
Should leave me feeling this
I’ve barely moved beyond
The fantasy I brought here
Explored but one
Poorly hidden quarter
Seen only the obvious

But the ingrained otherness
Resonates
This magnet for outsiders
Where no one belongs
But everyone is permitted
Casual and cool
But serious
Not to be taken lightly
Or easily dismissed

Like Fremantle for grown-ups
With grander architecture