Recreation Guilt

It's that season where we can get to feeling we should be out enjoying Canada's brief summertime by bagging peaks, paddling rapids, and otherwise engaging in copious outdoor activity! Here's my antidote. It's one of my older poems, posted here upon popular request.
 
A Contrite Banffite Seeks Pardon

Forgive me, Rockies, for I have sinned.

It has been months since my last hike.

I could have walked through autumn leaves, yet was content

to lie on the couch,

watching through the window while aspen surrendered their leaves.

Mountain-bike trails deserved to be ridden,

not spurned in favour of Star Trek re-runs.

And how could I have danced and drunk until too sick for next day’s hike?

Twice, I failed to walk to work.

I purchased fossil fuels.

I neglected to carpool

and squandered the long-weekend

with a double-feature at the Lux.

I confess:

I long to cause wanton erosion and savour succulent berries.

I crave a blaze during fire ban.

Oh, and one more thing:,

I covet my neighbour’s

hi-tech gear. 

Be gracious to me now, O Rockies.

May your awesome views blot out  my transgressions,

may your waterfalls cleanse me of my iniquity and purge me of my sloth.

In penance, I offer a prayer:

Hail Hiker, tight of lace,

blisters are with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst locals

and blessed is the brand of thy boot Merrell.

Holy Hiker, like unto god,

pray for us lazy sonsabitches

now and at the summit of Everest,

oh yeah.

 
Contrite Banffite by Monica Meneghetti is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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