Her Pilgrimage Poem by Joyce Chelmo

Dear Joyce, the love and compassion in this deserve to be written in stone and placed on every roadside, Love to you, you are a fine writer, Love Duncan

Duncan after reading your work I am so honored that you would say that, thank you very much! Joyce

Dear Red, This is a really fine poem. Not only is it clearly and cleanly written but it comes from the heart and is filled with compassion. Great observation and recording of details and a strong, heart-centered ending. Best, Hugh

A very good poem on the subject, Joyce - like it much. We had our Lady of the Street 'midst Zooming Cars in Trinidad some years ago. Yes, she needed to eat; we fed her. She gave us a blessing. Who benefited most? ...

Hi Joyce Chop out the last three lines and it's perfect. I've been working with homeless folks for years - my favorite years. Who knows insane from sane? I've learned more from folks on median strips than I have from folks in lecture halls. Anne

Thank you so much Rich, I always feel for those characters. I once sat on a city bench and shared my lunch with an old man with a sign around his neck saying 'I will work for food.' I thought he was too old to work and a little food was not going to break me. I actually enjoyed his company, he had a back pack with a bible in it. He said I was an answer to his prayers. *smile I love your story... I met a few like that in Minneapolis. Joyce

I liked the character portrait you paint in this one. We had our harmless lunatic on the Miller Trunk Highway, in Hermantown, where I grew up. He'd be often spotted standing and waving at the cars as they went by. This went on for awhile until he began to stand there and wave with his pants down around his ankles. He disappeared shortly afterwards. His scandalized family no doubt had him institutionalized. He might have been hungry too.

Hugh thank you so much, you truely honor me. Red