A Poem for Friends Camp
 
 Friends Camp

I. How does it start?
   with a dream
     a hope
         a vision

   with nothing but a building
     some blankets
         and a few stalwart souls.

   How does it grow?
   With faith
     hard work
         and the joy of creating

     Year after year
         Decade after decade
           into another century
     Wider
         fuller
           deeper
     in geography
     in numbers
         and in love.

II. And how does it start
     for this boy
     this girl?

   Wanting

     fearing
   Joyful

     lonely

   Reaching out into a whole new world
     baby steps
         backing up
           giant steps

               Leaping.

   Help from all the grownups

     when it's wanted

   and, especially, when it's needed.

   Learning
     Growing
         Trying on your own
           and with others

   Expanding mind
     and body
         and spirit
           so much
   that when you get back home
     your parents stand in awe
         of this new person

     you have become.

   And through the camping years
     this boy
         this girl
     become this man
         this woman

   Full
     compassionate
         strong
           human beings
     far stronger
         and far more gentle
           than they could have become
               without

                 This

                     camp.

III. What is it now
     and where does it go

         this camp

           this well-spring?

   Changing
     unchanging
   Growing
     staying the same


   What is its effect?
     Imagine a pond
         a thousand ponds
     With one drop of rain
         spreading in circles
           wider
               ever wider
     until each part of that pond
         of those thousand ponds

   has been touched by that single drop of rain.

     So, too, each and every child
         who has passed through this camp
           and is passing
               and will pass

     Touches others
         with quiet witness
           of strength wisdom
               serenity
                 and love.

   And each of those people
     touch others
         who touch others still.

   Until the message
           the spirit
         the life
     learned here

   Will reach all corners of the world
     changing not how it turns

   but how we live upon it.


           One small camp

           in one small town

           can change the world.



June 21, 2003            Claudia Higgins Holzhauer