Pilgrims - 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

Originally published by Creations Magazine, August/September 2022

Len Slatest’s poems have appeared in the London literary journal ionosphere as well as Poets for Science, Inside Voice, Creations Magazine, Bardics Anonymous, Suffolk County Poetry Review, Bards Annual 2024, Eastern Sea Bards, Bards Across The Pond, and miniMAG. He won a small cash award for his short story in Sound Waves, and another will be published in miniMAG in 2025. Len is not fond of social media and can be contacted at the email address disputedunit@gmail.com