Blessed to the End

O Cebreiro to Triacastela, the 24^th day,
feel a cool, misty breeze along the Way.
Cappuccino at a crowded café
Ready for challenges, come what may. 

Beautiful view (on a mountaintop),
Snapped a selfie (with perfect backdrop).
Nearing the end (of a long day’s walk),
final descent (to reach my rest stop).

Then things changed, right ankle in pain
Swelling fast, turning into a sprain. 

On my camino’s 24^th day
Injured the last day in May
Pace slowed down—
Every step, the hurt profound.

Phar-ma-cia (early morning)
She said, “Don’t walk” (this was a warning).
I will finish (my Camino journey)
She prescribed pain pills, said “Don’t hurry.”

Gingerly moving on the trail 
Pilgrims pass, faces I knew well.
One joined me, walked my pace,
A doctor of philosophy, a survey to make. 

Why walk with me (since I was limping)
“You’re going backward piqued my analytic thinking”
We remain friends, years after Camino end
One day in May, I would do it again.

The Lord blessed me with my new friend
And a reminder: Don’t race to the End.