He stands shyly left foot on the line,

Excitement and fear warring in his face,

A tentative smile as he looks up

Only for a moment before looking down again.

The weekend was great

Adventure and accomplishment ruled

Blue sky o’er all and a pleasant breeze

Even though it was virtual

The derby brought smiles and cheers.

A feeling of being there

Yet a feeling from the past

Brought forth today by a simple event.

A wonderful feeling of light weight

I am once again young.

The day is long,

exhaustion sets in

I need a break

A break from the stress,

A break from the work,

A break from my whirling thoughts.

It wasn’t a tent at all, really, at least by today’s standards. Still, it was a wonder for my young self, 8 or 9 years old. It was a shelter, of sorts. A lean-to made of sticks, two old army ponchos, and a tarp on the ground. The best part was that we built it, we three. It was Dad, my brother, and myself with our hands, a hand ax, and some rope. As I took a moment to look at what we built, I was excited, making little hops, and a little bit afraid. It wasn’t just a shelter. It was to be my shelter for my first night under the stars.