A random stop in Lisbon made me love poetry corners for good

I used to skip poetry corners in travel guides, thinking they were just tacky tourist traps. On a trip to Lisbon, I was tired and ducked into a quiet courtyard mentioned online. It had a few old chairs and a box filled with poems written by visitors. I picked one up, a short verse about missing home, and it felt so raw and real. Sitting there, with the sun fading, I read more and saw notes from people all over the world. That simple spot connected me to strangers in a way no museum ever did. Now I always seek out these little corners when I travel, and they add a deep layer to my trips. I guess sometimes you need to just sit and read to get it.

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3 Comments

hill.casey7mo ago

Wow, guess my past self calling them tourist traps was the real poetry.

2

brooke_walker237mo ago

Yeah, calling things tourist traps is a real mood. I just lean into it now, like @hill.casey said, and own my old hot takes. It's way easier than trying to be deep all the time.

5

charles5107mo ago

So my bad takes from five years ago count as poetry now? Guess I was just being fancy but wrong.

1