A mighty mountain man
is what I longed to be,
at age of twelve,
when we went camping
off in the fair off pines.
(Course it was a detour in desires,
originally set sights on the beach,
it was too crowded, and parents didn't bother
to get campground reservations
like a sane person might have done.)
So it was the forest for a week,
though shorts weren't quite a good choice,
for the chilly nights with frozen behind
body hinting this was a bad idea,
our brains too stubborn to obey,
while forcing a smile to pretend
we were all having fun.
Nothing was more of a final tribute
to this burgeoning blunder
than the plan to use pine needles
as a mattress for our sleeping bags,
a cushion against the cold hard ground.
Really knew in my head it was lunacy,
still did it anyway, after all, was worth a try,
(sounded great when my step dad said it,
but truth was my back was so darn sore
from sleeping on the earth mixed with rocks,
that we were all so darn desperate to make it soft somehow.)
At first the needles seem to help,
couldn't feel the ground or any of the stones
that our lazy butts refused to move,
two hours later it became like a porcupine quill,
night covered the groans as I quietly drug my bag off the failed dream
of waking from an evening where I felt the soil used me as a punching bag.
Author notes
Prompt: Bad idea you did anyway
A contest entry
- Ohhhhhhh That Hurt by Juggalo-King.
600 points, ended September 2, 2008, 12 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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lo i loved it iv been there done that
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Haha. This reminds me of camping with the kids a few years ago. As they get older I am sure I will here comments on the my attitude towards "real camping" as opposed camping in and air conditioned camper.
I am sure that I will be cast as a villian. Thanks for sharing.
Mike
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I could see this all with minds eye as I read..What boys won't do for a good camp out in the bushes..To live those days over again! That is what made the out of doors great...But so glad of ones bed when you got home! Such a good free write!
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This is a not a boy scout-smile/laugh. The ground is not soft bit of pleasure envisioned. Although my children think this could be fun. (Children will sleep on rock) Lovely work here I can see this through my years as a boy scout and camping. The pine neddles and leaves do not help to soften the night. I am laughing with you not at you. the adventure brings old memories to the surface.
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