Camping in Autumn
Dusk descends in purple
Hues. Constellations gradually appear,
Dancing across the sky
Like clusters of flashing
Fireflies marching in formations
During the halftime
Performance to nightfall.
Then Hunter Moon meets
Mother Earth, peeking above
The jagged, rocky mountain
Ridge in the distance.
As its full roundness
Rises, cool pine shadows
Slowly shift and deepen.
A chorus of katydids
Provide back-up music to
Traditional camp songs, scary
Ghost stories, bursts of
Laughter, the low hum of
Chatter, and the popping
Crackle of burning firewood.
Later, throbbing music from
The pavilion fills the
Camp, enticing teens to
Pulsate rhythmically as a
D. J. spins top tunes
That temporarily drowns out
Nature’s nighttime symphony.
The sharpness of smoke
And dank of the
Crushed leaf blanket barely
Mask the pungent pumpkin
Odor of newly cut
Grinning jack-o-lanterns
Propped on picnic tables.
Hot bowls of homemade
Bean soup, steaming cups
Of hot chocolate and
Freshly brewed coffee warm
Hands and stomachs. Afterwards,
Fire roasted marshmallows are
Eaten plain or on s’mores.
No matter the location,
Time in my life,
Or group of participants,
My fond memories of
Camping with friends and
Family have made an
Indelible impact, remaining with
Me to this day.
Karen Krotzer, a retired teacher residing in Manassas, VA, grew up in Lancaster, PA, has been published by Hutton Publications (nominated a poem for the Pushcart Prize), Local Gems Press, at The RavensPerch and Retrograde Review, in The Miserere Review, & in the 2026 anthology of The Common Language Project.