Witness to my birth, so filled with memory
Janet Frames’ Kingdom by the Sea
A seaside town built on a promise
A boom that never came
Testament to optimism, the vagaries of fortune
Wide streets, buildings of creamy shining stone
Turning apricot in the setting sun
Intricate porticos, majestic Corinthian columns
Tied to the common toil, the fruits of the hinterland… while feigning big smoke airs
Cow Cockies to wipe boots at the threshold… the true aroma of the breadwinner far from polite society
Notables dressed in Victorian garb or part of the Steampunk scene
Everyday folk beneath the Toff’s notice out of their farm clothes, HI-VIS, or “Works” blood `n’ guts
Little Blue Penguins prove popular prey for the I-Phone hunters, harbourside
But it’s the shags and their “business” seemingly keeping the wharves from crumbling ruin
Birthplace of frozen meat exports
Witness of fanfare for the Terranova and hope for success…
And first to inform the world of Scott’s fate
Not everyone’s cup of tea, this place, one could love or hate…
It’s true
I’ve felt both over the years, now I’ve come full circle
Now? I’m content in my hometown, Oamaru.
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