by Leon Lowder
Are you lost in Warsaw?
Are you soaking in the softness of Polish words?
Smelling kapusta as you explore the city
with such small, delicate feet?
Have you found new shoes
to walk you through the town
you’ve visited so many times before?
Do you dream of white boots?
Can you hear your uncle, your aunt?
How smoky was the kawiarnia back then?
How free were the words?
Did they roll sweetly on your tongue?
You the collector of rebellious languages.
How do you feel strolling on Marszalkowska?
Do you recognize the sidewalk cracks?
Please buy new shoes, so you can return soon.
Leon Lowder is a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. His work has been published in Red River Review and Passager.