Backpacking Han Solo

He wandered the slopes of the Sierras

He jumped out of helicopters

to ski the snow powdered slopes

of the Canadian Rockies

When I told him I was going

to venture out alone

he fully supported me

He gave me his old cross country skiing backpack

Teal straight out of the 70s

Laced with punk rock patches and ski tokens

It was withered and smelled like cheese

but it was strong enough for one more adventure

It carried me through

my first solo backpacking trip

or at least most of it

I dropped my GPS coordinates to him

and rang his line

I asked him to keep it our secret

"Please don't tell mom."

"Why would I?

She would kill me for letting you go out alone."

"If I don't return in 3 days

send out a search team."

3 days later

I rang his line again

"Thanks for the bag, dad.

It served me well.

Till I lost my footing and fell.

I almost drowned in a river.

But eventually I washed up on a shore."

"When I laid your bag down,

I watch my hopes crumble

with the frame

onto the forest floor.

I barely made it out

of that valley.

I thought about abandoning

all my belongings.

But even without the frame

your backpack served it's purpose.

I made it out of Botcher's Gap solo

with a story to tell.

The backpack served me well."

I could hear his uneasiness

in the silence on the other line.

I could see his head in his hands

when he sighed.

I could feel the depth of his heart

when he said,

"Damn it, Doobie.

I'm glad you're alive."