The road became more like his home with every passing day

as if the feet that carried him already knew the way

and as he followed such a vague nostalgia further on

he started feeling closer to the road he walked upon

The place he walked was beautiful and full of life and song

the fish in rivers overflowed and game was big and strong

he felt he lived in luxury, enjoying every feast

thankful to world around, and every hunted beast

So happy to be living, he continued without aim

discovering new beauty as a child would play a game

one evening just as many times before, the path he took

led him to a quiet village where he stopped to look

He greeted those he met along the quiet village road

so many came to see him that his walking quickly slowed

one man in particular insisted that he rest

bragging of the bread with which his family was blessed

The young man was familiar in a confusing way

the pilgrim thought he’d seen him once, but where, he couldn’t say

he led the pilgrim to his humble house of wood and straw

and once inside the pilgrim questioned everything he saw

In his life the pilgrim had seen fires of every kind

maybe more than any person you might ever find

but in that little one room house a little hearth of stone

burned with more intensity than he had ever known

Every stone was just where it had been for countless years

where once he’d sat for countless evenings dreaming through his tears

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the pilgrim almost didn’t hear a word the young man said

overwhelmed and speechless he could only scratch his head

The man before him, standing by the fireplace burning bright

the image of the pilgrim’s father smiling by its light

he introduced his family, and quickly served a meal

boasting there was not a sickness his food couldn’t heal

The pilgrim and the family sang old songs as they ate

the pilgrim ate so much it made the young man celebrate

his wife just laughed at how he loved to brag about his food

hoping that the pilgrim didn’t find her husband rude

“It’s funny that you know so many songs we like to sing

did you hear them on the road while out adventuring”

the pilgrim bowed his head and grinned, then quietly replied

“such amazing songs have surely travelled far and wide”

The pilgrim couldn’t offer any more than honest praise

“I’ve never eaten finer food than this in all my days

the fields you work are truly blessed by years of work and toil

no one in the world has cultivated finer soil”

The children did understand the pilgrim’s honest praise

but laughed and sang with him for many more hours anyways

later on they settled down and gathered by the fire

the children asked for stories but they soon began to tire

“I’ve travelled all around this world and seen a lot of pain

I’ve seen a lot of wonders too, enough to entertain

but I can say I’ve never seen as rich a family

as one who lives and works together, healthy, proud, and free”

The children soon went off to bed, and very quickly slept

having heard such compliments the father only wept

Their mother laughed and poured some drinks before they went to bed

The pilgrim said he’d sleep as well but watched the fire instead

His family, it seemed, had lived a peaceful, happy life

after he had left, at least one brother found a wife

life had been so easy in the village for so long

the fire was just as warm and they all sang the same old song

He knew that if he’d stayed he never would have understood

staying would have done the village much more harm than good

an immature ungrateful child whose feet could never rest

leaving them to live in peace was surely for the best

The fire was only smouldering before the morning light

before they all awoke the pilgrim quietly took flight

taking in the scenery of home one final time

then looking to the mountains in the distance he could climb

Before he left, he thought it best to see his parents’ grave

and show them that their foolish boy had grown up strong and brave

he came to where the plots were marked by letters carved in stone

where lay the kindest family the world had ever known

He walked toward the graves with an apologetic air

he wondered if they’d be annoyed to see him standing there

but then he read the words inscribed beneath his father’s name

“wherever in the world you go, we love you all the same”

~