The gray catbird calls out, an auspicious sound,
Does he know the secrets of the forest?
Does the catbird know whose bike I found
Balanced up against a tree, no one around?
What about the blanket fort I found in the clearing?
Does he know if it’s a homeless camp, is that what I’m hearing?
The secrets of Ballenger Creek
Held in a tiny little meep
We meet here in this place
Shaped by time
Carved by pressure
Two women
Balanced on rocks
In a flowing stream
Once we were close
You and I
Kids of similar ages
Common interests
Differences appreciated
The current of our lives
Kept flowing
Into different stages
Our interests shifted
Differences augmented
Sometimes, though
When the tide is right
Our connection flows
And its like old times
And sometimes
The tide falls short
We find the rocks
And sit in the balance
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this south suburb
And ended in a gravel slip
The mate was a mountain biking man
His woman brave and sure
Three passengers set off this day
For a three hour trip, a three hour trip
The first campground started looking rough
A Hipcamp backup plan backed out
If not for the call back from Cowboy’s RV park
A campsite we would be without, a campsite we would be without
The camper set ground on the slip of this new-ish RV park
With Jason and Keely
And Sebastian too,
The mountain biker, wife and child
And a handful of feral kittens
Here at Cowboy’s RV Park
A mile is a long way
When you’re hiking the AT in PA
When the bees are buzzing near your face
And you can’t keep up with your friends’ pace
When sweat is dripping into your eyes
And you have to walk faster or swat away flies
But the rocks, my God, they are everywhere
Watch where you step and beware
And it seems like you are always going uphill
And you didn’t consider just how that would make a flatlander feel
Now your clothes are wet and you might smell a bit ripe
And you are wondering if this trail is really worth the hype
You see all these lithe young backpackers go by
And you realize your youth is gone and you just might die
On this hill, but come on, you can do it
Just put one foot in front of the other
The only way out is through it
Finally, the hike is done and good, it’s time to eat
Get back to the cabin and rest your sore feet
And even though your body will be sore
And you aren’t really sure what you came here for
You’ll look back and remember this as a good time
Eight miles was a long way, with this out of shape body of mine
May 20 2023
