of people long gone,
their faces shadows or
dying wisps of a memory
in people's minds.
One sits here and wonders
how long until
I am a fading memory?
How long until I forget
the sound of reveille
the words to Goodnight Nashoba
the faces of the counselors
and the view from the veranda,
stretching out like a panoramic postcard,
real enough to touch.
I remember...
the sunset as we watch campfire
the allure of the mysterious goings on
in the counselor lounge
the chatter of the dining hall
and how beautiful it looks with chairs
instead of the old fashioned benches
that were an inconvenience to all
the pulse of the dances
and finally stealing a slow dance
with that (perhaps not so) secret crush
the smell of the wet grass
the race to the candy line
after placing first in cabin clean up
the excitement of getting a “parcel”
the thrill of hearing your name
over the loud speaker.
Saturday nights we had to dress up,
to look pretty for arts night
the boys looked at us just a little bit longer
during dinner.
I can still run down the path to the waterfront
as it lazily weaves its way through the girls’ side
blindfolded,
with all its roots and holes,
my feet know the way
without guidance from my eyes
and I skip merrily along my way
to the bottom of the hill
where the water stretches out in front of me
blue and beckoning.
the fight
for “good” cereal at breakfast
the fight
for the red couch in the basement
during movie nights
and the fight
to remember
the way things used to be.
the graffiti covers the walls
from people long gone
from before this place was called Nashoba North
when it was called Naomi,
and Michigan.
they loved this place, too,
at different points in their lives.
I wonder if they have shed the tears
and retain thoughts
similar to those I cherish,
the smiles of hello,
the tears of goodbye.
one year of absence
and I was already a shadow
and after two years I was barely a memory.
I thought I’d live forever
That my memory would be kept alive
in the trees and grass.
I cried, realizing I was now a stranger
in this place I once called heaven.
