Lesson In The Woods

At Camp You and I, where memories dwell,

In quiet moments stories would swell,

Just you and me in that sacred space,

Time slowing to a gentler pace.

Between Sarvey Hill and Panther’s height,

We’d steal away, make time take flight,

With paint and blazes marking trails,

While wisdom flowed through ancient tales.

The chainsaw’s song would fill the air,

As firewood stacked with patient care,

Each log a lesson in your way:

“Do things right, don’t rush the day.”

Through mountain laurel, thick and deep,

Up trails where deer their secrets keep,

You’d pause to point out nature’s signs,

Teaching me to read between the lines.

On Sarvey’s slope, we’d often rest,

Your stories flowing from your chest,

Of hunters past and seasons turned,

Of hard-won wisdom, lessons learned.

“Watch the wind,” you’d softly say,

“Listen close to what these mountains pray,

For in their silence lies the truth

That bridges age back down to youth.”

From Panther’s view, you showed me more

Than just the peaks stretched out before,

You taught me how to be a man,

With work-worn hands and patient plan.

Each painted line and blazed-out trail,

Each story shared, each wild detail,

Built something stronger than the trees:

A legacy caught in mountain breeze.

From boyhood steps to manhood’s stride,

You walked these paths right by my side,

Through seasons changing, years unfurled,

Teaching me to face the world.

At Camp You and I, we’d sit at night,

Stories flowing by lantern light,

Of times gone past and wisdom earned,

Of family truths and lessons learned.

Now every tree we marked back then

Stands witness to the where and when

You shaped a boy into a man,

With loving heart and guiding hand.

In these wild places that we shared,

Where every moment showed you cared,

Your legacy lives strong and true

In everything I say and do.

Thank you, mentor, guide, and friend,

For time you chose with me to spend,

In these mountains, wild and free,

Teaching what I’d need to be.

For every trail we blazed together,

Through fair and harsh mountain weather,

Shaped more than just the forest ways,

Built the man I am today.