An Elegy for the Lost Identity

This house is steeped in sorrow.
Its bricks are hewn from the heaviest minerals of the earth –
Bricks fashioned out of memories.
Memories that are our sole wealth in exile.
Heavy bricks, yet invisible,
Weight without form,
Presence without a body.

I became a light, like many more before me and like many more hereafter,
A light that slowly fades away,
And if lucky,
Only a trace remains.

I once had a name,
Shaped like the tall stature of a woman!
Fervent and warm,
With hair neighing like horses in the wind.

I once had a name,
Like a child in a meadow,
Barefoot chasing butterflies.
Now, I’m but a lucid light –
Whose name the sands of time have swept away.

Like my forebearers and those yet to come,
I have risen from my own ashes;
I have gone forth to war against the dark spectres of Oblivion,
And with a body scored by wounds,
Have sought refuge
In the womb of my desolation.

I am unmoored**,
Adrift within this alien city.
This city that is not mine,
Nor does it claim me as its own.

The maw of this city is vast,
The maw of this city is deep,
And I, like all the others,
Fight to hold fast to my name.

This poem is written for the sorrows and struggles of exile, and losing all that defines a person as who they are.
Berlin, 30.04.2026

* Someone or something that is untethered, adrift, or freed from anchors, often referring to a lack of stability, security, or emotional grounding. Figuratively, it means feeling confused, disoriented, or disconnected, as if floating without direction. It is commonly used to describe emotional instability after major life changes. (Cambridge Dictionary)
** A maw /mɔː/ is defined as the mouth, throat, or gullet, especially of a voracious or dangerous animal. Metaphorically, a maw describes a cavernous, gaping opening or an insatiable, consuming force. (Merriam-Webster)