Ready for Camping
Our family is going camping soon.
Must pack my bag by four.
Mom made a checklist just for me.
She stuck it on my door.
I pack shoes, shorts, and underwear,
My favorite pj’s too.
The bag is quickly filling up,
I know just what to do.
I pull another suitcase out,
And wheel it down the hall.
Toss in my favorite catcher’s mitt,
Then add a brand new ball.
I gather everything my mom
Suggested I should bring,
But breathe a big sigh of relief,
After packing one more thing.
I quickly zip the suitcase up,
Don’t want my sis to look.
I’d never, ever, go camping,
Without what I just took.
I tug one suitcase toward the steps,
Thumps follow down the line.
Mom quickly comes to check it out,
And makes sure I am fine.
“Good grief! Oh my! Are you okay?
Those bumps were very loud!”
She peeks inside my stuffed suitcase.
Mom grins, I think she’s proud.
My folded clothes are underneath,
Books neatly stacked on top.
I tell my mom I love to read,
And do not want to stop.
“Astronomy is my favorite,
Race cars and trucks are too.
Huge dinosaurs and bad weather,
Excite me through and through.”
My mother smiles big and wide.
She doesn’t shake her head.
“Just remember after reading,
You’ll need to go to bed.”
Must pack my bag by four.
Mom made a checklist just for me.
She stuck it on my door.
I pack shoes, shorts, and underwear,
My favorite pj’s too.
The bag is quickly filling up,
I know just what to do.
I pull another suitcase out,
And wheel it down the hall.
Toss in my favorite catcher’s mitt,
Then add a brand new ball.
I gather everything my mom
Suggested I should bring,
But breathe a big sigh of relief,
After packing one more thing.
I quickly zip the suitcase up,
Don’t want my sis to look.
I’d never, ever, go camping,
Without what I just took.
I tug one suitcase toward the steps,
Thumps follow down the line.
Mom quickly comes to check it out,
And makes sure I am fine.
“Good grief! Oh my! Are you okay?
Those bumps were very loud!”
She peeks inside my stuffed suitcase.
Mom grins, I think she’s proud.
My folded clothes are underneath,
Books neatly stacked on top.
I tell my mom I love to read,
And do not want to stop.
“Astronomy is my favorite,
Race cars and trucks are too.
Huge dinosaurs and bad weather,
Excite me through and through.”
My mother smiles big and wide.
She doesn’t shake her head.
“Just remember after reading,
You’ll need to go to bed.”
This poem is copyright (©) Kay Miller 2023

About the Writer
Kay Miller
Kay Miller resides in Westlake, Ohio near the shores of Lake Erie. She began writing later in life after her children were grown. She is published in Capsule Stories Winter 2021 Edition. Kay enjoys writing poetry, prose, and is currently working on a cozy mystery. When she’s not writing, she can be found exploring new hiking trails in northeastern Ohio with her husband and two adult children.