A City Walk

*

Let's walk

through the inner city

of Christchurch

A city of trees

all flowering, budding, leafing

on a cold spring day

One afternoon

in Christchurch

whilst part of our family

went to the Art Gallery

the other part,

that is

those not taking their Nana nap,

walked though the inner city

along the Avon River banks

 

Christchurch's charm

lies in its leafy river side parks

 

weeping willows

and English deciduous trees

 

punting along the Avon River

 

on a showery afternoon

is still beguiling

 

for ducks

  

 and onlookers

 

old colonial administration buildings

hug the river bank

 

and give the city

that 'old country' feel

and by that I mean

the homeland

The United Kingdom

from whence

most of the city forbears came

 

spring flowers

lined the pathways

 

leafy new season green

washed the skies

 

and the ducks

pose statuesque

on the bridge parapets

 

and true to form

it rains

 

 But

while it is cold

and showery

the remnants of

my deep and forgotten

English and Scottish heritage

are stirred

 in response to these

idyllic green settings

worthy

of poetry 

The early city planners

and settlers

would be very proud

of the way that their vision

has matured

*