Arrival

By Jakob Straub

Gara de Nord, Bucharest. Jakob Straub 

the travelers disembarking 

carry their possessions 

and a look upon their faces 

that reveals they're unaware 

of how openly they look out at the world 

as if it was still passing them by 

on the other side of the train window 

but the parade of 

telephone poles, churchyards, open fields 

has given way to 

a uniform body of strangers 

and though they've reached their destination

the arrival has yet to register on their minds 

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Jakob Straub is a writer, developmental editor, and literary ghost. His favorite books have pages all empty—until he taints them. He writes creative fiction in English and German, often about people who can’t quite say what they mean and definitely can’t afford to fail. His work explores themes of grief, underdog identity, and the quiet absurdity of everyday life. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in Flowers & Serpents (New Niu Press) and the Daniil Pashkoff Prize collection. 

When not writing, he helps other writers shape their manuscripts and occasionally publishes on storytelling, narrative structure, and the practical nightmare of sustaining a creative career. Originally from Lake Constance, Germany, Jakob has lived in Berlin and Barcelona and is now based in the Pacific Northwest.