I wake before the crack of dawn
To pack my bag—stale work pants on.
Takedown my tent and head to the kitchen
Call to my friends; they’ll soon have risen.
Oats today and oats tomorrow
Dreams of bacon give me sorrow
Once my bowl is squeaky clean
It is time I go to the latrine
Split the group gear between us six
And tools we need to chop up sticks.
Some are big and some are small
But George, he likes to throw them all
Float, cut, wedge until it drops, and
Hope the bind does not your momentum stop
And, once the house is half past three
Hang our crosscuts in a tree.
Find a new place for the kitchen
When dinner’s ready, no one’s complainin’
With bellies full and gratitude spoken
Time to lay down until we’re woken
By the sun again above the trees,
Knowing night’s too short to rest our knees,
Takedown the tent, head to the kitchen
Wake up my friends, they’ll soon have risen.
-Gabe Siegal