Today (July 1st) is Canada Day! A Happy 149th Birthday to Canada, the country I love. As you can imagine, the birthday celebrations this year will be eclipsed by celebrations next year when Canada turns 150. (Our poetry society is planning to publish a book of poetry to commemorate the event. Our members are busy writing about Canada. That bit of writing is also on my to-do list.)
Today, a poem about one of my favorite places in Canada to visit. Though it’s just a 90-minute ferry ride away, Vancouver Island is a special place full of memories of the wonderful times we’ve spent there. The accompanying slide show lets you see just a few of its features. Of course the best part of any place we visit is the friends we have there.
Vancouver Island
Ninety-minute crossing meanders between Gulf Islands
from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay
slows us down to island speed
Drive roadways lined with rocky outcrops and arbutus trees
that shed their trunks in curling rusty flakes
Shiver in bone-cold Port Hardy fog
Breathe air that feels thick as a milkshake.
Watch whales breach, sea lions sunbathe
on a brilliant Telegraph Cove morning
Spend a day wandering Chemainus
camera in hand gathering murals
Gawk at Buddha statues and goats
on the roof of the Coombs market
Stroll past Victoria’s Parliament Buildings outlined in lights
to the skirl of the bagpipes of buskers
Talk with my friend till late
Wood fire embers snap a sleepy goodnight
as I head to the guest room
© 2016 by Violet Nesdoly (All rights reserved)
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This post is linked to Poetry Friday, hosted today by Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference.
Violet Nesdoly / poems 