I wrote the following poem for Camp Bethel. Which I have attended and worked at since I was 9 years old. In 2012 we lost our main lodge to a fire and in 2019 we opened our new lodge. This is what I read at our building dedication.
Dedicated to God and my wonderful friends at Camp Bethel, I am honored to call you family.
I Can’t Write A Poem About Camp
There isn’t a right word
To describe the shades of green
And gold
That fill the forest
When we gather to worship
Under rafters made from pine needles.
There is no description
That captures the warmth
Of friendships that burn bright against the chilling winds
Of time and distance,
When we find ourselves together
By the fireside.
I cannot truly explain
The sensation of laughter
That bubbles out before the joke is told.
How do you put words to the feeling
Of watching trees grow tall
And children becoming leaders?
Words do not capture
The poetry of some places.
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