Stolen from waters that
nearly robbed me.
Absorbing tears
as my lashes dripped,
I abandoned you gently
with others.
Centuries of accumulated
prayers,
sorrows,
hopes,
closed chapters,
broken shells.
Without
a hindsight glance.
On the Camino de Santiago de Compostella (the 500 mile pilgrimage I completely this summer),
it is believed that we carry a stone with us (usually from home) and all our losses, sins, pain, sorrows,
weaknesses, insecurities, unanswered prayers, etc., are symbolically embedded
within it during our walk. By leaving it behind at La Cruz de Ferro, we shed
those things we no longer need to "carry" through life.
This weekend's Trifextra comes to us courtesy of MOV. They want us to give them a 33-word time travel story. They
would love it if we would title it with the year/date that we choose.
20 comments:
Beautiful, GIna. Truly touching and heartfelt. Very well done. :)
Beautiful sentiment though heart wrenching. Lovely poetry. Can't wait to read some posts about your trip.
I love it. Symbolic gestures have very real power. Well said, and written.
This is so powerful. Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to reading more.
Thanks, Tom. The entire journey (physically, emotionally, mentally) touched me and everyone with whom I came in contact. Amazing. I'm a very lucky woman in all ways!
That day was a total purge for me. I walked away lighter, happier, newer. And not the person I was the year before. I hope I write some. It's hard for me to talk about, or maybe I should say explain. It is so, so big. I need to find a way to break it into pieces, smaller stories. I'm finding it so interconnected that it's hard. Also, it's difficult to explain how it actually was/felt to people who weren't there. There's just this bond there...
Thank you, Joanne! The most difficult thing I have ever done. But we don't sign on for easy when we decide to do it.. It was a blessing, truly life changing in so many ways. I found "me" again. (I sobbed in a woman's arms that iI had only met the day before). After that, day, it felt our work was complete. For the next week, it was like a celebration!
Thanks, steph. I think they do. It was why we were there. To do this. Really, for that moment. It was soundless except the crunching of rocks as we took our turns going up one-by-one. Very reverent.
I appreciate that, Bo! I know I haven't shared much. With anyone really. It's hard for me but will try!
Very nice. Nostalgic. I enjoyed this.
http://www.aliciaaudrey.com/blog/trifextra-86-1986
This is beautiful and emotional. I like the symbolism of leaving the rock and all the burdens we carry.
Your short but beautiful poem takes us on its own journey. Wonderfully chosen words. My favourite, "I abandoned you gently" - lovely line. Thanks for linking up!
"without a hindsight glance"
I wish, really wish, it could be that easy. That for each of us we had a place like this to just lay our stones, leave those memories, leave those heartaches and move on.
I'm SO glad you found that place, that you could place that rock and beneath tears walk from it.
as always you touched me with your words.
XO
Thank you, Alicia!
It was a very emotional part of the journey. It also felt incredibly comforting that millions of people ad done the same thing before me for personal reasons of their own. Thanks, Jana!
Thank you for the kind compliment!
Love the gentle abandonment, too.
Gina, what the camino gave you will come through in everything you write.
I always seem to have someone I know doing some part of the camino.
You should have waved!
I guess we can, symbolically, everyday if our minds would allow. I have learned, not just from the Camino, how to move on. Let the past stay there (if it was hurtful). Let go. It's also been hard to incorporate this journey into the stresses of daily life once I got home. Oh, the chaos just about drove me nuts!
I needed to get beyond my year of being the girl who broke her neck and could/should have been a quadriplegic. That chapter is closed.
You are so nice to me!
XO back!!!
It gave me a peace, inside, that is hard to describe.
I would have loved to run into anyone! The community of pilgrims out there are more generous than I could have imagined. But then, we are all the completely stripped down, most vulnerable versions of ourselves out there.
ah, if it would be that easy......
Post a Comment