Pilgrims

Pilgrims

By Len Slatest

A pilgrim is a person who journeys in a foreign land 

We are all pilgrims

We gawk in amazement and disgust 

at 

guppies that eat their young 

spiders that devour their lovers 

gorillas that commit infanticide 

We protect 

as we can 

against 

cancer 

ravaging our body 

dementia 

rotting our spirit 

tornadoes 

wrecking home and field with equanimity 

Terrible things happen to good people 

And 

we can 

barely 

express our outrage 

that we are 

born 

only 

to die 

We are 

on strange turf 

ominously indifferent to us 

incomprehensible 

We are not home 

So we 

huddle against the storm 

gasping 

when the lightning strikes 

sighing 

as the thunder softens 

hugging 

when it’s over