In the Trees

I'm cheating a little for this week's Poetry Monday.The topic is camping.And I'm reusing a poem I published a couple of years ago.It's even more poignant to me today . . . Each summer, since the dawn of time,We’d pack our kids and dogs and gearWith plans to spend a week, sublimeAnd frolic with the bears and deer.
For camping was our family ‘thing’,Anticipated through the year,And, oh, what praises they would singWhen finally, the time was here.
We parents’d sit beside the fireAnd eat and laugh and shoot the breeze,While younger legs who’d never tireWould charge together through the trees.
With shouts and laughter as they ran,Or giggles, hopefully suppressed.‘Hide and Seek’ and ‘Kick the Can’And ‘Find the Flag’ and all the rest.
When daylight waned, called back to campTo spend a moment round the flames.And crown the glowing, happy champs,Then plan for the Tomorrow's games.
What fun to hear those voices shout,And watch their progress through the trees.To see them scurrying aboutOn fleetest feet; or hands and knees.
Time’s gone by. It’s what it does.And still, we’re camping in the trees.But something’s missing now, becauseThere’s silence floating on the breeze.
We parent’s camp, as we have done,With tales to tell and wood to hew,But in the trees, there is no one,No voices yelling, “I’ve found you!”
We tell ourselves it’s peaceful, true,As restful as someone could wish,We do the things we want to do,Like eat and nap and swim and fish.
At night, we stare into the flamesAnd talk about the times long past.When woods would ring with noisy gamesAnd summer days forever last.
But now our kids are raising theirs.And time’s a thing that’s hard to find,And spending days with deer and bear’sA priority that’s far behind.
Oh, what I’d give for one more day,When simple fun brought endless joy,When games would pass the time away,And woods would echo with the noise.

Mondays do get knocked a lot,With poetry, we all besought,To try to make the week beginWith pleasant thoughts--perhaps a grin?So all of us together, we,Have posted poems for you to see.Now go and see what they have doneI'm sure it will be lots of fun!JennyDeloresMotherOwlMimiAnd now you've seen what we have brought . . .Did we help?Or did we not?