Pronunciation guide is written in brackets before the English translations.

Coming and going are not different sides of the same coin.
It’s a trick.
There are no sides, only other.

Wie isch iri Name? (Ve ish eeri Nam-ah CH: What is your name?)
Hope, wie die Hoffnung. (Hope, ve dee Hof-noong CH: Hope, like ‘Hoffnung’ in German)
Was für ini Name isch de den? (Vas foor ini Nam-ah ish da den CH: What sort of a name is that even?)
My name is wrong here,
and with each new introduction the performance of this conversation
is harmonized and stamped into a rhythmic chant that rings out
Ausländerin, Ausländerin, Ausländerin. (Ows-lender-in Ows-lender-in Ows-lender-in DE: Foreigner, foreigner, foreigner)

Coming home
there are no sides, only other.
“Que tu queres tomar?” I yell across the café to my husband. (Ke tu keres tom-ahr? PR: What do you want to drink?)
The words are out of my mouth before I remember where I am.
I will myself to use English more.
I am home, after all.
Yet, I cannot help but feel
Fremd. (Fremd DE: Foreign)
The other Australians see it.
Smell it.
It has been a long time since I was one of them.
Ich bin gedeutscht. ( ich bin ge-doit-ched DE: I have been Germanified)
But not just that.
Jein, talves etwas mais. (Y-eye-n, tahl-vez et-vas m-eyez. DE: Yes/no, PR: maybe, DE: something, PR: More)
Farofa is sprinkled on my tongue. (Farofa is a flour made from cassava root eaten in Brazil)
Agauchada, tambem? (Ah-gah-uh-sha-da, tam-beng PR: Gauchoed, also?)

Where are you from?
Australia.
No, where are you really from?

They have caught me out.
Sono una bugiarda. (So-no una bu-jard-ah IT: I am a liar.)

I imagined returning home would feel like a warm embrace.
After years of saudade and Einsamkeit. (s-ow-da-ge, Eye-n-zam-k-eyet. PR: longing, DE: Loneliness)
Endlich, (End-lick DE: Finally)
Eu achei que, (E-oo ash-ay ke PR: I thought that,)
Ho arrivato. Ma, (O arri-vato. Mah IT: I have arrived, but,)
Always a foreigner, no matter the time.

So we try to speak unsere lingua mistura só en casa. (oon-zer-eh ling-guah mis-too-rah soh eng cah-zah ßDE: our, PR: mixed language only at home.)
But habit and a lazy tongue mean we can forget where we are.
Codes switched wrong.
Wrong switched codes.
Switched. Codes wrong.
One foot in Brazil, one foot in Switzerland.
My left hand in Austria, my right in Italy.
And my heart in my chest, to keep home with me.
Where there are no sides,
only other.

CH: Swiss German

DE: German

PR: Portuguese

IT: Italian