Mom and Dad’s Campfire
May 26, 2020 | For Love of the Coast | Land Protection, Outdoor Recreation
I’m going down the road and in my mind
I enter your camp by the sea
Imagine an eternal fireplace
Mom and Dad are sitting there
I remember the days of digging clams
Building the camp, boughs for the floor
I was always hoping to hear more
Of what you would tell me of our ancestors
We must have slept like rocks
Near that ocean
I found sweetgrass there years later
Hold a place for me in that camp
And I’ll be coming home
To be with yous, by your side
At the eternal camp fire.
Carol Dana was born on the Penobscot River in 1952. Her experiences camping, when her mom would talk about the old ways, are some of her favorite childhood memories. She has worked at the Indian Island School and at the Penobscot Cultural Historic Preservation Department, and has been writing for many years.
This piece is part of Voices from the Coast, a collection of writing, art, stories, and images offered in celebration of the Maine coast and launched in 2020, Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s 50th year.
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