Poetry

When her marriage unravels, Katherine January steps out on Camino, tucking into her backpack a small bundle of nylon cord her ex-husband kept stashed around the house. As she walks, she considers the ways she might use that string to solve problems on Camino, just as she, no longer tethered, must now improvise a new life.

Bill Artz shares his poem about being inspired to cycle the Camino after surgery had improved his eyesight, and another kind of sight he gained on pilgrimage.

In this poem, Cong Do pays tribute to Portomarín, a town on the Camino Francés, whose residents in the 1960s were forced to abandon the original site of their hometown and rebuild on higher land.

In this poem, Luci Kegley considers how a pilgrim journey fosters a new way of seeing oneself and way of life.

In the natural sights and sounds she observes while walking, poet Suzanne Doerge discovers a benediction for all who walk the pilgrim’s path.

These song lyrics by Robert Bain, set to the tune of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A,” honor those who walked beside him on the Camino Portugués in May 2024 when he journeyed to remember his late mother.

In these song lyrics set to the tune of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” Evan Massaro playfully highlights the simple, recognizable routine that connects pilgrims across routes and across time.

In these song lyrics set to the tune of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Universal Soldier,” Evan Massaro highlights how pilgrims, regardless of who they are or where they come from, are united by a common call.

These song lyrics by Robert Bain, set to the tune of George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning,” tell the tale of a guitar-playing peregrino who finds joy in strumming tunes while pilgrims from dozens of countries sing and hum along.

This poem by Rick Pawelski describes a pilgrim’s contrasting perspectives while climbing a hill and upon reaching the top.