Ode poem by Jamie Torres
Written October 2023
Narrow road leads to wonder
Grass matted down by car tires
and curiosities
A grassy knoll ripe with excitement.
First-day jitters, ecstatic reunions
Clipboards and clicky pens offer guidance.
Cars drive away one person lighter.
Now fun begins.
Wood cabin drenched in Sharpie
Decades etched into beds
Nikki G 08’
Hannh’s bunk weeks 7 and 9
Tick
Tick
Tick
Make sure to check for ticks!
Back to the barn
Check on the chickens and goats
Pick apples and cucumbers
Even the unripe is still a treat
Paths to the bay pass a Raggedy rock
Give it your spit!
To keep away evil Anne
But only down the path, never up
Lights are out
nights still young
We’ll fill it with laughter
confessions come easier in the dark of night
Stars shine brighter here than anywhere else
This corner of the universe
will shine on its children
Until youth wanes with the summer
Add another name for the bunk.
Pack the duffle bag.
Back in the car, back up the path.
Goodbye wonder, goodbye my friends
….Until summer comes again.
Ode - A formal, often ceremonious lyric poem that addresses and celebrates a person, place, thing, or idea. Its stanza forms vary. The Greek ode was a public poem, usually set to music, that celebrated athletic victories..
Learn more about the Ode at The Poetry Foundation!
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