Urban Oasis
A poem by Jennifer Munro
Step into the park
And instantly
The pace of life
Moves down a notch or two
As if the greater space
Allows a deeper, slower breath;
Permits an ambling gait
Beneath a wide expansive sky
In place of hasty steps
Under broken fragments,
Between buildings.
The sound of traffic dies away,
Muffled by the barrier
Of shrubs and trees;
But other sounds come into focus
That signal recreation
For the body and the soul;
Blackbirds warbling,
Water lapping up against a rowing boat,
A cricket ball striking a hardwood bat,
Children’s voices raised –
Not in anger, but in playful mood,
On swings and slides
Or splashing in the pool
Step into the park
And suddenly
The bustling city streets
Are a million miles away
From the pocket of tranquility
Encompassing the lake
Where, reflected in the ripples,
A swan glides gracefully, serenely by;
And fronds of weeping willow
Trail gently on the surface
And a thousand tiny droplets,
Like nature’s chandelier,
Shower from an oar
As it rises from the water.
And on the slow and inward breath
The scent of flowers
And close-clipped grass
Around the formal beds
Assails the nostrils;
Time out, a retreat
From perpetual motion,
A re-charging of batteries
Before engaging once again
With the world outside |
