My missus and I recently camped for a week at Lake Kegonsa State Park near Stoughton, WI. There was time to write, to read, to hike and hang out with our woozle, Lucky Angus MacPup. We slept late, spent a lot of time in lounge chairs, cooked over an open fire, moonwatched and spent time with our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.
I write a lot about the four classical elements, earth, air, fire and water. Living under a tarp put me much closer to these elements and sharpened my perception of our place in this elemental universe. This enhanced perception resulted in some writing that I'm rather pleased with.
Look below the fire-wave for A Fleet of Oaks.
Who knows an oak?
The galls and broken branches,
the twists and scars
are silent badges won in struggles
with gales and ice
The breath of all the world
passes through the grove.
Listen to the creaks and groans of a stationary fleet.
The suit of green sails upon their crooked spars
billows in the blue air.
This ship's cat is a gray cat
with a white bib and socks.
She lurks in the camp, too fluid for the little white dog.
He never sees her preening as she stays down wind,
safe and full of her cat self.
The crows call out the from their watch in the maintop.
They mimic the yaps of the little white dog.
The indolent passenger lolls in a deck chair,
perusing a life of Alfred the Great, scrawling doggerel
and having another cup of coffee.
This ship isn't going anywhere (I hope).
Ain't it fine?
Cicadas hum as we doze.
Ain't it fine?
Indeed, it is fine.
Still to come in the Kegonsa Diary: Explore the truth of chokecherries, follow the jackrabbit chase, witness the lightning TOAD RAID(!), taste blackberry biscuits and linger over the wild blue asters.