Choose a route and a starting point,
Then take a long walk at the speed of nature.
The days are paved with dirt, stone, concrete.
Yellow arrows point to a series of revelations.
Constant clamor yields to sustained silence,
Birdsong replaces chainsaw and jake brake.
Walls of graffiti and screens covered in anxiety
Become medieval forests or goat-studded hills.
From everywhere in dozens of languages,
Men and women of all ages share plain bunks,
Café con leche, remedies, and clotheslines
With best friends they’ve never met before.
Some seek indulgence, a head start to Heaven.
Elders hope their bodies meet the challenge.
It’s honoring a vow, atoning, seeking meaning,
Or just a lark – a quirky, exhausting vacation.
Some say the goal is the power to serve others,
Many leave a token, none finish unchanged,
And each brings back a boon, a story to share.
— Chris Clark, December 2023
Chris Clark 