Remembering to Ask by Carolyn Chilton Casas

Remembering to Ask
by Carolyn Chilton Casas

Returning to Arcos de la Frontera,
after driving through white hill towns
of southern Spain—
Ubrique, Grazalema, silent for siesta
Zahara de la Sierra,
it is dusk as we enter the city gates.

Winding streets coil back and forth
around the city’s hillside.
Most barely allow one-way passage,
with ancient stone walls on either side,
and arches so narrow we must pull in
the mirrors on our tiny rental car.

When we arrived the first day,
the GPS steered us straight
to the center. Now,
it cannot locate our hotel,
commands us to turn
into oncoming traffic, leads us
two times around the outskirts
and back to where we started.

My young son is driving.
Soon it will be dark. I am anxious,
then remember to ask the angels,
who await our pleas for help.

Under my breath, I ask.
At that exact second,
when my petition has just slipped
from my lips,
the system reroutes itself,
guides us directly to the plaza
and our hotel on top of the hill.

PHOTO: Street of the Casco Antiguo, Arcos de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain. Photo by Makoshark2.

NOTE: Arcos de la Frontera is a town and municipality in Andalusia, Spain. It is located on the northern, western, and southern banks of the Guadalete River, which flows around three sides of the city under towering vertical cliffs. The town offers a commanding vista atop a sandstone ridge, from which the peak of San Cristóbal and the Guadalete Valley can be seen. The town gained its name for its role as the frontier of Spain’s 13th-century battle with the Moors.

PHOTO: View of Arcos de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain. Photo by Alvaro Trabazo Rivas. 

PHOTO: The author and her son outside their hotel in Arcos de la Frontera, Spain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carolyn Chilton Casas is a Reiki Master and teacher, a student of metaphysics and philosophy. Her favorite themes for writing are healing, wellness, awareness, and the spiritual journey. Carolyn’s stories and poems have appeared in Energy, Journey of the Heart, Odyssey, Reiki News Magazine, Snapdragon, The Art of Healing, as well as other publications. You can read more of Carolyn’s work on Instagram at mindfulpoet. On February 16, 2021, her first collection of poetry, Our Shared Breath, was released.