The vagabonds’ prayer

[Disclaimer: I have never been very good with prayers. In my lifelong relationship of departures and rapprochements from and to Catholicism, already since I was a child, the words somehow felt too vague or threatening or simply not accurate enough to me.

When I walked across India, even though I felt so strongly the presence and protection of many invisible allies -the old Catholic Saints, the colorful Hindu Gods, the prayers of my loved ones, the Spirit of my late mother walking next to me for most of the Road- sometimes I would compose a prayer in my heart to keep me safe from harm. Here is one I wrote during the first days of my journey.

If you feel that prayers don't do justice to what is stored in your heart, to what you'd like to ask or be thankful for, just write one. The words will effortlessly flow to your heart if you are patient and open enough.]

29/08 Amritsar to Bundala (Punjab)

I start walking very early (5:45 am), eager to leave the city and its traffic behind. For a couple of hours, as I try to depart from Amritsar, I traverse the familiar kilometers of suburbs, villas, wholesalers, closed shops, and waste left to rot or burn.

So, I make silence within me and, while putting a step after the other, I begin to offer a prayer to all the Gods around me:

God of wayfarers,

God of walkers,

God of stray dogs,

God of the gypsies,

Protect me from falls,

from lightning,

from snakes that only know poison,

from bored dogs,

from mischievous monkeys,

from the goring of cows,

from smart thieves, and even more from the stupid ones, as the smart ones only want your belongings while the stupid ones want your attention.

Protect me from sprains,

from fractures,

from the temptation to judge,

from haste,

from self-indulgence,

from drivers with crazed blood,

from inflamed muscles,

from greedy innkeepers,

from food that doesn't agree with my belly,

from fear, from the night,

from the nostalgia that slows my pace.

Protect, on my behalf, the people I call home, wherever they may be, and grant me the opportunity to return to them once my journey is complete.

May my steps be steady, my heart courageous, and prepared to give all there is to give.

May this journey be filled with moments of grace and wonder.

Praise be to all the forces, seen and unseen, that surround me.