I. Sitting in a shitty burger joint in Manitou Springs On the patio Maybe two other families and A couple sitting, drinking beer Very drunk girlfriend missing the door handle on the way Into the bar The ominous smell of impending rain My lovely, sore feet in Birkenstocks Slightly sun-charred A little dirty Sips of mango lemonade II. Two candles lit like a little makeshift firepit A near empty bottle of bourbon Chilly can-sweat beers A Mexican blanket Looking up An imperfect circle of pine Around a white-paint-splattered sky III. Tired, scratchy legs and feet Grey, dark grey, darker grey contours of the mountains Who have their backs to the setting sun The three of us Idling on the boat Basking in the warmth of instant friendship Radiating joy and gratitude Out of ourselves Into each other And back again IV. Front yard managerie of vacationers Hikers and other crispy folk just off the trail Sitting at steel tables rusted by winter snowfall Hot wind through flittering Aspens Half-warm beers Greasy goodies for empty bellies Triumphant dust and scree runners V. A silent moment Content and sipping No need for small talk A girl dances for her mother in a frilly lavender dress A hummingbird hovers over butter yellow wildflower A light tittering of people eating and chatting A perfect temperature Aspen leaves dance overhead VI. Alone in tiny tent Woolen socks over dirty toes Last sip of water before a little too much beer and whiskey Takes me away Camping mat squeaks Someone in the tent next to mine farts I giggle and swan dive into mountain sleep