A Mosaic

I have seen the dawn of these ages, present and past,

And I have heard of men who wished to be great!

I know of this connection, the foundation of our future.

Today, our action will determine the result of their effort;

Names cry out!

Champlain; Laurier; Fleming; MacDonald; Diefenbaker;

For attention, their motivation begs!

How unbecoming! To stoop to those who would be alone!

A 'Nation' is built upon that dream of individual dreamers;

To see this land as one, an expanse as vast as an ocean's tidal flow;

A wave that beats on Fundy's Bay and ripples to Pacific edge.

Industrious hands prepared a contribution, one piece of the pie.

The flavours to be savoured, for those who would employ,

Skills diverse, creative and complementary.

This jigsaw, this mosaic, composed of blood, sweat and tears;

As a panorama pictured on a landscape's masterpiece,

Each rock, each tree, each blade of grass by water's side

Belong; and to those Basque, Acadian, Celt or Nordic adventurer;

Voyageurs who led a frontier search,

The contribution made is suitably a part.

And of this land, of mountains high and lakes so great,

The price once paid is enough to last!

Who would fly in the face of common goals,

Of individual welfare, of the collective whole?

United we stand! Divided we fall!

How many lives lost to prove the weaker stance?

Strong voices can bring responsibility,

Focus on individual rights; equality can be duality.

This fertile field now sown, of hybrid seed,

A harvest of the highest calibre, to share as need,

Would have us to prepare and feed,

Those riverlets of foundling peoples,

Our heritage and link to cultures origin and advance.

WE, a Canadian people, can be, once perhaps, a lead,

To mirror a role model, by whose effort we achieve,

Cohesiveness!

We may be the last bastion of hope!

In a world torn by anger, resulting in strife,

Bloodshed, starvation and poverty, who will stand on guard?

We have that chance!

Our wealth, untapped, lies beyond our race;

We have much stored in mineral and nature's habitat,

Beneath which talent and diversity abound;

This strength can put this foundling atop,

To join 'mature'nations who still need to learn!

Let us set our standards, conversant in every voice,

For children, whether poor or rich, able or disabled,

For adult, young or old, employed or otherwise.

Ours may be the wisest choice;

A family can be bound where difference is evident;

There are duties and responsibilities,

To be shared, but greatness will be the reward!

A people are charged to reflect their environment,

Likewise, that place mirrors their care, or lack thereof!

If we perfect a little of civilization's advance,

We see those who put aside tribal difference,

Gain knowledge, progress and ultimately benefit!

We can bring those hopes of peoples proud

Together, to meld the framework strong;

From the jigsaw of many parts, to make a picture.

It will take more than one artist,

In diverse roles to make a contribution;

The richness of resource spent for a worthy cause.

Remember those nations, once great, who evolved,

By sharing in a vision whole,

Of those whose back once turned upon their friend,

Were lost in oblivion's fold!

The land provides the fruits of Mother Nature,

When sensitivity and balance prevail;

Respect and understanding produce abundance,

From a myriad parts of her mosaic!

Dec. 27th. 1994 © Will George