Admitting a thing or two about the forces of Nature

I am nothing like a bear; I do not shit
in the woods. Although I try; to be a good sport,
wear extra socks, hold tent poles

buckle up, buckle down

wait patiently for food to be pulled down
from trees (our life in the woods is governed
by the presence of bears)

missing soft tacos and home delivery.

Why can’t I stop thinking about summer
camp? Stories of spiders crawling in
sleeping girls’ ears & laying eggs

stories that never turn out well

a bedwetting bunkmate, a boy named
Patrick & a first kiss (just before learning
I was not alone), mysterious bites

a call for ointment & a damp cloth.

I readjust our mattress over rocky ground,
then adjust it again, wishing I had insisted
on air because air must be better than foam

the illusion of never touching earth.