I close my eyes, lost in old memories.
Warm nights gathered ‘round the campfire, as
choruses of “Rise Up Oh Flame” weave up and around wispy smoke,
then away into the stars as we sang,
our voices happy and strong –
reflecting the bonds we formed back then.
Musty canvas tents and rough-hewn cabins in the woods, oh
they somehow felt like heaven and we wanted never to leave.
Those Cedar trees still call my name,
though many miles and years exist between.
The old words remain crisp and clear, so I sing again –
“Farewell we take memories, that years cannot fade”.
Did any of us realize how true those words would come to be
when we first sang them?
It’s time to leave the memories once again, but
for just a little while. I know I’ll be back to visit them,
the next time I feel lonely, perhaps a verse or two of
Barges or Sarah the Whale will play for me the next time,
“Our promise remade” with every replay.
3/17/24
Karen McCaskey 