Breaking Camp Again

Breaking camp again
10 a.m. Sunday
So many have already gone
Some leave right from breakfast

Others use the hour after
To pack cars
Clean rooms
Close windows
Double check

Cars laden with bikes
Pillows sheets
Fans that were never needed
In these cool Catskill heights
Luggage toys cards souvenirs
Those new T-shirts
One with bears across the chest
Other with a regal wolf face
CD player and too many CDs
Never had the time to play half of them
Too busy with camp stuff
Hikes games campfires
Walks
Naps in an Adirondack chair
Hypnotized by the sway of the trees
Varying breezes accompanying invisible timeless solitudes

Backpacks empty now
Not needed for a hike today
The hike today is the haul home
Boots stowed
Homeward bound
Thinking about
Miles away from these woods
Being welcomed home
By lowlands humidity
Unpacking
Showering
Gnoshing
Finally crawling into the familiar nest
Last lazy snooze of vacation

Breaking camp again
10 a.m. Sunday


For Sketches
By Denis J. kelly
July 21, 2013