Bedtime at Camp
by Amy LV
Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.
For the past five years, our family has spent two weeks each summer at Sprucelands horse camp. Our children are campers, we are hill parents, and Mark and I could not be more grateful for all that director and owner Eileen Thompson has taught us about horses and life. Summer camp is a magical world, a place where people come together after months or years, and it feels like no time has passed. At camp, people who might not find each other in "real life" do find each other. We run into friends' arms and hug, knowing which songs we'll soon sing together, and wondering about which favorite meals, games, and skits we'll take on this year.
Today's poem is a love poem to Sprucelands, and to some of what our family will always carry in our hearts from this second home. The camp is for sale, and while we all cross our fingers that someone who wants to keep it a camp will step forward, times are uncertain. Should you have any interest in such a venture, know anyone who might wish to run a camp, or have a friend who would like to fund a nonprofit - please drop me an e-mail to amy at amylv dot com. This is an enchanting place, and we long to help keep it a camp.
Students - You will see that today's offering is a free verse poem. When an idea is dear to my heart, sometimes I would rather rely on image than rhyme. And I know that moments and memories and smells and laughs from Sprucelands will follow all five of us - and so many many more - throughout our lives.
With much love and gratitude to Eileen and all of our Sprucelands friends...
Today I am so happy to welcome author Deb Lund to my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks where she allows us to peek into her notebooks and meet her inner critic. Thank you to Deb for her post and for the two books she is giving away!
Teachers, if you teach students about keeping a writer's notebook, I have designed this blog for you. I will continue to add links and resources throughout this summer, soon cataloging the posts as I have done here at The Poem Farm.
Gather a few poems into your arms and heart today over at A Teaching Life, where Tara hosts today's Poetry Friday roundup.
Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Oh, beautiful wording! Love it! Sso many pieces to savor and remember!
ReplyDeleteI love the imagery, especially "our words/float warm and spicy/like cinnamon..." so lovely!
ReplyDeleteSprucelands sounds like a magical place. I hope someone comes along to save it. : )
How lucky you have been to have known a place like Sprucelands....fingers crossed, too, that it will remain in loving hands. Your poem captured all those special summer- camp memories....just lovely.
ReplyDeleteHaving spent many weeks at camp as a youngster, and then sent my kids, this poem wakes all kinds of good feelings in me. I hope Sprucelands gets to stay a camp for a good long while yet!
ReplyDeleteHi there! I've used your poem (with attribution) to celebrate "Poem in your pocket" day on the Facebook page for Camp Little Notch. CLN previously was a Girl Scout camp. The council sold it and a dedicated group of alumni purchased the property and now it serves as a private children's camp.
ReplyDeleteYour poem perfectly captures summer camp experiences. Thank you so much!