Cherry Blossoms, 2017
Centennial Park, Mississauga City
The air is fresh and thick
of maple, oak, aspen and birch trees
along Credit River
towards blue Lake Ontario
Bottle up this city's musk
It is invigorating
From the smell of maple syrup
to India's spices, curry & bread
to Italy's fresh tomatoes and pasta
to Mexico's burritos and tacos
to Jamaica's jerk chicken & beans
to France's crepes and macaroons
to Japanese sushi and English's fish
and chips
Plus thousand more dishes
From faraway countries,
This city is a big basket weaved by
different colors of the world's hands-
Though young (as of 1974)
This city commands limelight -
It is Canada's 6th largest city -
Ring the giant bell
in Kariya Park -
We are the city of friendship
with Japan-
Here cherry blooming trees
pinks the park,
radiant as morning sun
Bring your bike or hiking shoes
Along the reclaimed forest area
We'll refresh our souls
while listening to birds, fish and chasing
small wild creatures
innocent as children's laughter in parks-
Beside giant malls, offices
and Marilyn-Monroe shaped
condo buildings in downtown city-
This city flames with energy
Sprawling with modern
roads for trains and bus terminals
Beside Toronto City,
Mississauga is a big sister
with trillium flowers on her hair
and that smile -
Welcome!
Note: The Mississauga are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations people located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwe. The name "Mississauga" comes from the Anishinaabe word Misi-zaagiing, meaning "[Those at the] Great River-mouth." It closely related to the Ojibwe word Misswezahging, which means ‘a river with many outlets.’
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Hosted by Jilly about Urban Renewal. What is your city? Mine is Mississauga, my home for the last 13 years. Join us when the pub doors open at 3pm EST.
What a wonderful tribute to your city, your words make me want to be there to experience all that your imagery offers,,
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how cities make diversity possible.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful read, Grace! If you could bottle up the musk you would scent the world in glorious colors. You are ever the master of imagery!
ReplyDeleteA gorgeous name to roll around your mouth, Mississauga.I love the scents that fly from the lines:
ReplyDelete'The air is fresh and thick
of maple, oak, aspen and birch trees'
and
'Bottle up this city's musk'-
and then you flood my senses with a list of delicious foods! You're such a tease, Grace!
How do I get there?
Sure lots to do there by the sounds of it and not all of it in malls or high rise buildings.
ReplyDelete"Mississauga is a big sister
ReplyDeletewith trillium flowers on her hair" ... I love that!!!
More gems:
"Bottle up this city's musk"
"From the smell of maple syrup
to India's spices, curry & bread" (drooling)
"Marilyn-Monroe shaped
condo buildings"
"This city flames with energy"
Bella, Gracie.
I love the city as a basket, woven by the world's hands. That's an amazing image, so absolutely perfect. Sounds like a lovely place to live.
ReplyDeleteYou sound as though you have a great deal of affection for your city.
ReplyDeleteI only live a couple of hours from Mississauga and your poem wants me to visit it again sooner rather than later!
ReplyDeleteThat basket metaphor makes a great tourism slogan. I just hope there are also some Mississauga hands included in the weaving. At least in the US, tribal hands of the indigenous have not been included in the making of the great basket-cities.
ReplyDeleteNot so true anymore. Take a look at what is being done in Minneapolis -- the renaming of a lake, etc.
DeleteQuite a beautiful read about your hometown. Sadly I've only been past it on the expressway, striving to keep up with Ontario license plates. Everything's a blur that close to the speed of sound.
ReplyDeleteMy wife's family all were born and raised in Mississauga. They were there when the great housing boom hit in the 80's, now they are for the most part living off the concrete after selling their family homes to the wave from HK.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful city!!!
ReplyDeleteI like the metaphor of the city as a big, woven basket.
ReplyDeleteI've learnt something new about your city. A great tribute😊
ReplyDeleteOoh, all that food, sounds so good. In a great big city. You make it all seem so good. I think my bucket list has got to have an eating vacation in it, somewhere in a big city with lots of fine rsstaurants
ReplyDeleteYou should enter this into your city's newspaper or tourism office! Well done. I especially like that scent of musk and these lines
ReplyDelete"This city is a big basket weaved by
different colors of the world's hands-"
and all the dishes and scents you've mentioned that exemplify these lines. I do wonder what a Marilyn Monroe shaped building is? :)
sounds like a welcoming place (K)
ReplyDelete