BradfordToday received the following Canada Day poem from reader Walter Prokopchuk.
Oh, Canada!
This country, ours — o'er centuries — molded to what's today:
Firstly arrived, with standards: high, by them, preserved best ways;
They — the Aboriginals — conserved its lands so green,
Earth's stewards through the past centuries, keeping landscapes pristine.
Peaks' melting snow, fed rivers to flow, in chasms far below,
Within whose crystal waters, fish, still in abundance grow.
Where lofty trees whose majesty, would knight sky's stately clouds
To gift rain on golden wheat fields, to feed us — so endowed.
Arrived next Europe's varied folks, including Christians, Jews,
Followed by Asia's Buddhists, as well, Muslims, Hindus.
Some Scandinavians, and Slavs, Germanic, elsewhere stock,
To appreciate best life; to here, where all peoples still flock.
Exemplified —diversified — with rainbow's colours bright;
Came black folk, brown, and those else tanned, to complement the white.
Cultures arrived, customs survived, urged on by sought accord:
Assimilate 'neath bluest skies, to reap this land's rewards.
Escaping persecution there, for faiths that they did choose;
To here attain most basic rights: rewarded, but ne'er refused.
As well to practise liberties, unknown to there exist,
'Stead starvation, torture by, tyrant's oppressing fist.
And Canada — whose magic spell — attracted millions more
From else despotic nations, she held open welcome door;
Her expressed voice offered them choice, to build their futures same;
A privilege earned, all children learned, as whence their fathers came:
On cold and distant shores, our boys, twice drenched scarlet those sands,
Together standing selflessly, guarding this — our land,
Shoulder to shoulder with said stance, e'er focused on their goal
To save our blessed democracy, courageously extolled.
So thank you Canada for what, resonates in our song:
Patriotic love keeps us — forever free and strong.
Walter Prokopchuk
Bradford
