Today we walked from Barcelos to Balugâes.
Pasolini called his film The Gospel According to Matthew. If he could drop the Saint, so can I: it’s not São Tiago or Santiago from now on, just Tiago. Here’s today’s crop of call-them-poems.
A huge toad
flattened on the road
like a childhood memory.
——
No need to ask if we’re lost
or where we want to go,
just smile and point.
——
Whipper-snipping
bale-wrapping
tractor-driving
hedge-uprooting
rotary-hoeing
barrow-wheeling
bean-picking
hand-hoeing
cow-and-sheep-driving
grass-raking:
farmers working up a sweat.
Pilgrims walking one up.
——
A road sign:
a snowflake
inside a red triangle.
(The obedient snow is keeping a safe distance.)
Me fail? I fly! 
One of my US cousins who visited me last year in July lived for many years in San Diego – the Diego your Tiago – a form of my own name. I’ve always felt a bit partial to the Way of St James – of St Jacques – of Jacob! So your removal of the “saint” makes perfect revealing sense to me!
I have just read Luke Slattery’s novel Mrs M – based on the characters and times of Lachlan and Elizabeth MACQUARIE – but treated with some interesting twists – the real story he told in his non-fiction: The First Dismissal. I think it is excellent.
Jim
Keep putting those feet one in front of the other. On my own pilgrimage (2009) – by the end of the first day having walked over 40 kms – I had done damage to my groin. Only by using the staff to propel myself could I start up again having stopped. The damage/pain lasted six days. Relieved each evening by deep relaxing soaking in Japanese baths. It was during the sixth day while performing a ceremony at one of the “bangai” (outside-the-88 temples) – to bring protection to my aching body – that a much younger fellow pilgrim laughed when I mentioned that I felt the damage might be permanent. It usually takes 10 days to get over all that – he said. Mentally relieved – from the very next morning – never again any groin aches! And I think the entire 1200 kms – two blisters – somewhere near the end – but not requiring any medication or bandages! >
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You put my measly 150 or so K to shame, Jim.
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Enjoying your cal-them-poems Jonathan.
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