Morning blues lodged within my bonesas we left Caldas de Reis.The sky was overcast, the air cold,and the Galician rain grew heavier. Then three companions brought their sunshineinto the grey morning.Their lively voices lifted melike wings beneath a tired bird. Ahead of us, a stream of diverse pilgrimsflowed out of the city like the RiverContinue reading “The Stone for Weary Pilgrims”
Tag Archives: travel
The Camino that Holds Every Story
I left O Porriño in the morning chill,carrying a coldness within me.My mood imitated the air—quiet, heavy and slow to awaken. Morning blues travelled in my body.Energy had not yet found my limbs,and part of me wanted to retreatuntil I felt ready to join the day. But pilgrimage does not always waitfor the body andContinue reading “The Camino that Holds Every Story”
Following the Yellow Arrows Within
We left Tui in the cool morning air,wrapped for a while in a blanket of mist.It walked beside us like a quiet companion,then lifted and left us to the road. Our small group delved into conversation, our words carrying us beyond ourselves.So absorbed were we in one anotherthat we failed to notice the turning. TheContinue reading “Following the Yellow Arrows Within”
Sailing in Reverse – Departure, Crossing, & Landing Shaped by Interior Movements
“The sea has locked them all. The sea is history.”— Derek Walcott, “The Sea Is History” The Departure The sun was rising as we left Port of Spain.On the way to the airport, I noticed its glowspreading across the morning sky,and received it as the first gift of my pilgrimage. Vincent drove us to PiarcoContinue reading “Sailing in Reverse – Departure, Crossing, & Landing Shaped by Interior Movements”
A Prophetic Song on the Banks of the Douro River
“The cave that we fear entering holds the treasure we seek” – Joseph Campbell We spent a day walking through the hilly city of Porto before the long walk to Santiago began. I thought we were getting to know a city;the city was already asking me to look deep within. At Mercado do Bolhão, aContinue reading “A Prophetic Song on the Banks of the Douro River”
Preparing to Sail
“What is most terrifying in the experience of the deportation of Africans to the Americas * is undoubtedly the unknown, faced without preparation or challenge” (Édouard Glissant, “The Open Boat,” Poetics of Relation) I prepare to “sail” across the Atlantic,travelling in the opposite directionfrom the one forced upon my African ancestors,returning freely over waters they crossed inContinue reading “Preparing to Sail”
My Desire for the Camino
A Long Loving Look at the Real “Contemplation is a long, loving look at the real.”— Walter J Burghardt SJ I come to the Camino with a desire,not simply to reach Santiago,not to measure the days in kilometres,but to let each day’s walking become a prayer. From the Caribbean, we cross the Atlantic,over waters ourContinue reading “My Desire for the Camino”
Finding Humility in the Vastness of Creation
The chapel occupies only a small space within my home. My home, in turn, occupies only a small corner of the city. The city rests within the country. The country finds its place within the Caribbean basin. The Caribbean belongs to the Western Hemisphere. The hemisphere is but a portion of the Earth. Earth circlesContinue reading “Finding Humility in the Vastness of Creation”
When public works becomes public inconvenience
THE EDITOR, Madam: Government institutions such as the National Water Commission (NWC) have perfected the art of turning necessary infrastructure upgrades into exercises in human suffering. Too often, their operations make daily life unbearable, burdensome, and emotionally draining, while simultaneously dragging down national productivity. The latest example is unfolding in the Liguanea/Wellington Drive corridor —Continue reading “When public works becomes public inconvenience”
Macro promises, micro neglect: lessons from UHWI’s modernisation
THE EDITOR, Madam: Modernisation of healthcare facilities is essential if Jamaica is to deliver first-class medical care to its citizens. However, modernisation—especially when showcased as part of a grand, macro-scale plan—must not come at the expense of addressing basic, day-to-day issues that directly impact patients’ well-being. Recently, the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI),Continue reading “Macro promises, micro neglect: lessons from UHWI’s modernisation”
