carry the tent, mattresses and blankets
down from the attic above the garage
set up the tent in the backyard
check for holes and missing pieces
gather sleeping bags, backpacks
folding chairs, eskies, hiking boots
pack backpacks with hiking clothes
swimsuits, long-sleeved tops and pants
for cool mountain mornings
and evenings relaxing by the fire
sunscreen, toiletries and insect
repellent – don’t forget the bear
pepper spray, matches or torches
fill the eskies with water bottles
beer, tonic water, fruit, juice
vegies – fill woven shopping bags
with cooking utensils, canned
beans and tomatoes, tortillas
pasta, rice, power bars, trail mix
blue agave, salsa, corn chips
gin, whisky and coffee
bring novels, poetry collections
the chess set and a deck of cards
load everything into the SUV
don’t forget the hammer
axe, handsaw and pocket knife
bring Lyle Lovett, Dylan, Counting
Crows for the nine-hour-drive
to the Santa Fe National Forest
finally, check the tire pressure
oil and water levels, fill the fuel
tank, drive northwest to freedom
Such a poem! Great prep, hope it was a great trip.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rob. Just got back today, and yes it was a great trip! We had no electricity, phone service or internet (truly in the wilderness), so I'm just now catching up on all the poems and comments from the week.
Deletelove the wryness of the last line coming after all the busy details, things and containers all of which had me really weighed down by the time I got to the bottom :) I especially love how the last line begins with 'tank' - I was tanked and ready to go home! Great understated gentle humour, Nathanael. Wonderful windows onto middle class Texan life.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Efi! Yes, it's amazing how much preparation and weight goes into an attempt to attain freedom and weightlessness! I think most middle-class Texans would stay in hotels, but we like to totally rough it every now and then.
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