POEM #8 INTRODUCTION I fell asleep in defiance of my muse. But my muse was determined for me to finish the verses it planted in my head way before midnight. By 2:00 o’clock in the early morning, my protest fell on deaf ears. I stayed awake until 5 a.m. as my muse was restless. Read to see how the verses traveled through a winding path. Even I don’t know how this poem would wind up. I chose a photo taken when our family hiked the Camino de Santiago across Spain in 2010. The trails were varied. Flat plains, valleys, steep hills; muddy and rocky, straight and winding paths became additionally challenging when natural elements such as rain, hail, snow and scorching sun took turns to fight for dominion over land. The adventure symbolizes the current dichotomy between me and my visiting muse; and in more severe terms, the unsettling dissonance between earthly beings and threats from the pandemic. Sadly, our adopted beloved country of Spain is in a dire state of the

Lu Travels Abroad is a Blog that celebrates travel. Inspired by family despite a chronic illness, any journey I now take feeds the soul. When physical travel is not possible as in this time of pandemic, I do not stop traveling. I travel with my mind's eye to the beat of my heart and surrender to the creative and the Divine. I encourage the same of others.