No matter what I do, Porto will always be a part of every decision I make. My hometown is not just the place where I was born, but a way of life. I don't think about it when I am actively creating. It's when I take a step back and look at what I produced that I see part of Porto in it. Some years ago, I wrote a "feeling" (in the shape of a poem) about it in one of my many returns to visit family. I desperately wanted to include it in the book. But then, I realized, no matter what I write, Porto will always be in the work. For your eyes, here is that small text.
FROM PORTO
I grew up here.
Not a choice,
just a chance to be.
No masks, no pretends,
this city tells you to be free
everyday. Maybe that's it,
the freedom I feel
it's part of Porto in me.
I remember once,
I thought I would live here forever.
What changed? Why did I leave?
I’m responsible for my life,
for everything that happened to me,
for everything that happened to me,
once I left. And with every return,
I look to the river and wish.
Wish I had grown up slower.
I wish I were still here.
I wish I were still here.
I’ll always be that person I was,
fearless, irresponsible,
wanting to leave, missing home.
I left because I was afraid,
maybe I was right to be.
Maybe I’ve always known
Maybe I’ve always known
the person I needed to be,
so I could love this place even more.
I close my eyes to feel the wind,
and I can't open them again.
I am afraid to open them
and not be here tomorrow.