The Modern Pilgrimage
The Modern Pilgrimage
I left for the usual reasons:
adventure, escape, economy, curiosity, vanity.
The destination mattered enormously
until the road began having opinions.
It took my certainty first.
Then my money, my shoes,
my patience,
and several cherished theories about myself.
I met people who traveled toward God,
away from love,
or simply because the bus was cheaper.
We all called it something different.
The road called it education.
Somewhere between the mountain
and the wrong turn,
I stopped asking
how much farther
and began wondering
who I would be when I got there.
That was the pilgrimage.
Not arriving, but being altered by the distance.
I came home with fewer answers,
better questions,
and a suspicious respect for blisters.
Home was exactly where I left it.
I was not.
-----
This journey of destroyed preconceptions prompted by DVerse Poets Pub. They might be tripping.
I would love to know what you thought about this piece.
Please consider leaving a comment.
Chris, your poem brings to mind a Bob Dylan song. None in particular. More a philosophy. Good one.
ReplyDelete"The destination mattered enormously
ReplyDeleteuntil the road began having opinions."
One can get lost win the adventure, forgetting the destination"
Bravo
Much love
Bravo! An excellent pilgrimage
ReplyDeleteGreat writing Chris 👏 Reminds me of a trip I made to Malaysia about 20 years ago and seeing how people lived there. When I got back home I ended up selling most of my furniture as it seemed unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteGreat piece - we set out looking to conquer a destination, only to be completely dismantled and reshaped by the journey itself 🙌
ReplyDeleteYes, yes yes! The journey may be the path....but who we become along the way, that is the difference. "The road called it education." and those last two lines: very powerful! A great reflection here.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect description on how the road changes you... it does include some suffering but I think this:
ReplyDeleteThe road called it education
and also coming back with better questions rather than answers is what I think it's all about.
What a great way to share your poetic journey!! Amazing write, Chris.
ReplyDeleteI admire your poem, Chris...succinct and philosophic at the same time! The journey of our lifelong education is not clear ...except, perhaps, in hindsight.
ReplyDelete