POEM - Very Camp

For loving camping
I hate camping
It is that basic eternal juxtaposition
Of theory versus application
And in theory
I love the mountains
And the outdoors
Clean air
Beautiful landscapes

In application it is not ideal
All previous statements hold true
But then you have to stay
Sleep in a tent
On the ground
In the cold
And the wet
Get up to pee
In the frigid dark
Steel your nerves
At every random rustling
So that you can void your bladder
Dive back in your bag
Quell the shivering
And get all of 10 of the recommended 40 winks

And then there is the gear
Sure all of us love REI
Lightweight colorful wonderland
So many great gadgets
All the latest must have accessories
Meant to make you salivate
And drain your bank account
Because one of these nifty innovations
Has to make this suck-fest tolerable
Only to arrive and spend hours
In ponderous confusion
About how to use
The infuriating contraption
You just had to have

Here's the untold truth
I will always go camping
Because there is that one time
When the stars align
And it is wonderful
And I sleep well
And you can't beat leaving the world back there
Back on its own
To ring and scream a busy ruckus
And all I have is near silence
A warm fire
Some s'mores
Good conversation
Flatulent freedom
And easy peaceful silences
Only broken by a random pop and sizzle
From the lapping tongues of fire
Dancing in a hypnotic trance