The Poet and the Pen — A poem to remember
Introduction
I am an outdoor enthusiast, avid camper, and hiker. Many of my poems show my love for the outdoors by using nature imagery. In fact, I write many of my poems while hiking and camping. The Poet and the Pen is a unique poem for me. It was complete before ever being written.
I wrote this poem while camping at the Kissimmee Prairie Reserve in Florida. I parked my car at the trailhead, gathered my gear, and hiked several miles to my campsite. Once I finished setting up camp, I went on a short hike with the few remaining hours of daylight. There was only one problem. I realized I forgot one crucial thing in my car, my pen.
So, I began the several mile hike back to my car and created this poem along the way.
The poet and the pen
The pen mightier than the sword.
But what if the poet has no pen?
Then he is no longer moving forward
and forgetting where he has been.
He must rely on his memory.
Oh, sad memory of the poet.
Forgetting things which made him happy,
remembering things one best forget.
Oh, dear poet, don’t rely on your faulty camera lens.
Oh, dear poet, don’t forget your fucking pen.
Wrap-up
When I arrived at my car, I found my pen on the front seat. I put it into my pocket and began the journey back. Now, I was racing against time. Hoping to reach camp before sunset, I wanted to avoid cooking by the light of my headlamp. Returning to camp with enough light to eat, I put this poem to paper as I laid in my tent before bed.
I realized how the smallest thing in my pack was the most important. So much beauty would have been lost without my pen to write what I felt and saw. The high price to retrieve something so small was not greater than the prize which waited.
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