Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes.  ~ Carl Sandburg

Who knew camping in the great outdoors could inspire the wonderful poems we’ve received. Thanks to all who submitted your poems, and thanks to Ralph W. Emerson for getting everyone started with his wonderful poem. We chose three winners:

The Poetry of Camping
By Lynne Jett

It is more than the blue of the day
It is more than the black of the night

It is more than the clean of the air.
Or the green of the leaves.

It is more than the meat on the grill
Or the fish on the pole.

It is more than the walks, the hikes or the rides,
More than the sights, the drives or the games.

It is all about friends, both new and the old, the children, the pets.
The stories to be told.

It’s all about fun and joy, the happiness and more.

It is really about giggles, guffaws and the snorts.
The laughter of children, with screams of delight,
no fences, no fears just fun, just right.

The laughter of teens with out a cell phone.
Their laughter with new friends, away from home.

The laughter of parents, no schedules, no lists.
The laughter of grands just sharing a trip.
The laughter of families together again.
The laughter you’ll hear as you wander the grounds
The laughter you feel just all around.

So when you plan your next trip, making your lists
Of the things to see and ones to not miss.
Leave time for the laughter, the joy and the bliss.

Untitled
By Nelson Knowles

An avian chorus
First light in the east
Night’s silence is broken

Light breeze through the trees
Scent of the earth
Nature’s majesty, unspoken

Soon the odors
Of coffee, of bacon
Breakfast is waiting

The lake is in view
Through the pine boughs
A line I’ll be baiting

Ankle deep in the water
Casting away
Not a cloud in the sky

Shoulders full of sun
Lost in daydreams
Of days gone by

A dog’s bark of joy
A child’s belly laugh
And a tug on my line

Back to the present
Setting the hook
The ties that UN-bind

Not out of the question
An afternoon snooze
‘Neath the awning shade

Or a dip in the pool
Or stroll on a trail
Have we got it made?

A day in the life
Creates quite a pang
So fire the grill

The catch of the day
Over open flame
Maybe a pinch of dill

Heavens ablaze
And horizon aglow
As day folds into night

Stars peeking through
Too many to count
An unbelievable sight

Ahh, in the slow lane
One arrives much quicker
At that perfect destination

In Thousand Trails’ land
Reservoir of preserves
Across this great nation

See ya down the road, friend!

Escape!
By Kathy Smalley

Sitting at my desk looking for peace
suddenly remembering it’s time to hit the street

The trailer is packed, the fridge good and chilly
food in the pantry, I’m done with clothes that are frilly

I’ve got my stack of reading carefully stored
Fishing tackle ready and worms galore

The stress is a burden as we jump in the truck
When we get there it will be gone, with a little luck

Hooray, we are there, my favorite escape
we’ve finally managed to reach the cape

The trailer is set, the beds are ready
a fire is burning and chairs nice and steady

Our stress has seeped into the abyss
It’s camping season again, it was sorely missed

We nod off to sleep with a song from above
remembering it was the quiet we passionately love

The song birds chime in to start our day
the mist is rising in waves on the bay

Life is complete, the wind in our faces
there will never be anything better than our camping spaces.