Mather Campground Blessings
all these little red fires
dotting the campground
sending smoke and heat and resin
into the night sky
all these cold white fiery points
glistening down from the black night
so many suns in our far-flung galaxy
a sea of milky possibilities
I’m seized by the profound joy of being here
on a by-and-large hospitable
(even in these uncertain disaster-prone days)
planet
thank you combustion
radiation
equilibrium
fire and night
first night of spring break
in March it’s been so long
we’ve lost our camping groove:
how to start the fire
how to wash the dishes
were to keep the headlamps
what to wear when
but we know it will be worth it
our bodies soaking up woodsmoke
and an intensity of stars
lying down on the land
listening to cranes
friendship, camping
someone who wants to be with me
just for who I am
not because we share blood
not due to desire
not because I’m useful
just because we like each other
rarest of souls
just for you I’m weaving
a crown of gentian blossom
and rabbit fur
golden butterfly wing
and lime green moss –
all that I have to offer
besides a handful of M&Ms
and my authentic grateful heart
so at home with you
on not winter-camping
once the dark falls
I draw the cabin walls around me
filling them with wood and warmth
shutting out the fox’s screams
camping with boys
a blue blur flattens everything inside
the 3-meter-squared-square
I’m a steamroller
sent to flatten evil Farmer McGregor
it growls
then squirms around to roll
the perpendicular pathway
to make sure every bit of the people inside
has been paved into oblivion
Good morning, steamroller
I say, my crushed lips
luckily still able to
form a smile
campsite wishlist
scenery, including body of water
public land location close enough to main road to not be a major detour, far enough to not hear traffic
wildlife that entertains but does not steal food (ducks are adequate)
lack of biting insects
access to clean drinking water
toilet with good supply of toilet paper
under $30/night
space between sites
quiet neighbors
dark skies for good stars
vegetation for a windbreak
dry flat soft ground
a clean picnic table
parking space close to tent site
space for boys to frolic
bonus:
hot showers (coin operated is fine)
sink and soap to wash hands
walking track/nature trail
trash cans
recycling
camp host to reign in noisy neighbors if necessary
vegetated barriers to make sure each site has its own nook
washing machine
clothesline
covered cooking/eating area
no one else there
free
farmstay vs. caravan park
after a string of caravan parks
here we are
camped on a farm
and we all go loose and easy
with room to run and kick a ball
and the great big sky of stars
arching over us
bright enough you can name them
even through the tent screen
and the dark’s black enough
to be able to slip into sleep
whenever you’re ready
crickets keep up a drone
so different from generator
and the highway’s a quiet whisper
in the distance
as the night lengthens the heat here actually ebbs –
at last we’ve found a place where sleep brings cool
over by the office Tilly the kangaroo dreams
her long hind limbs splayed in visible peace
