{"sf1_id":496047,"sf2_id":"rnakX9Le","title":"An Ode to Canada","author":"Matthew_Hindpaw","words":856,"posted_at":"2013-02-02T16:31:00.000Z","tags":["Poem","canada"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/496047-an-ode-to-canada","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/rnakX9Le","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/5c/1e/5c1e90c5-ddd5-4ceb-8f7a-b460d1fbe4ca","description":"And now, time for a very patriotic poem.","content":"There is a country I call home,\n\nOne that sits on the Earth's frozen dome.\n\nIt's Canada, land of snow and ice,\n\nBut one I wouldn't give it up for any price.\n\nIt's a land where I'm free to think, do and be who I want,\n\nAlthough, I prefer not to flaunt,\n\nMy fundamental rights for which I owe\n\nBeing able to have my freedom close in tow.\n\nAnd right now, I shall show,\n\nthe nation I have the pleasure to grow.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe shall start in the maritimes in the east,\n\nWhere the storms can thrash the coast like a snarling beast.\n\nFishermen catch fish that swim in the sea and shellfish that live under rocks as squatters,\n\nOccasionally lossing a catch to a crafty octopi or otter.\n\nOn the land, bushes of blueberries spring,\n\nAnd in the bars and pups, the people sing\n\nFolk songs about the mystic and fury of the sea,\n\nBut let's continue on, shall we?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOn the mainland, we find,\n\nTwo of the four provinces that signed,\n\nFor Canada to become a nation.\n\nAnd now, rests some of the cities with the highest populations.\n\nWere fur trappers once hunted wolves and beavers,\n\nNow live city goers and their pet retrievers.\n\nTo the east, we have Quebec, home to many of the nation's francophones.\n\nTo the west is where I live, Ontario, home to the nation's capital and some of the rum-runners who worked for Al Capone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOut west we find, the prairies of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta,\n\nWhich just seem to go on foreva'.\n\nFarmers work, day and night,\n\nIn hopes that things for their familes turn out right.\n\nWhile the buffalo no longer wonder in the thousands,\n\nCoyotes and other creatures remain denizens.\n\nWhile this land is so flat that it seems you could look across\u0026nbsp;a whole nation,\n\nLike any other, this is a place that history likes to claim station.\n\nFrom fossil dinos in the Alberta Badlands,\n\nTo Tommy Douglas, who could understand\n\nThat medical care is important and not just something messured in nickels and dimes,\n\nSo now not having free medicare to Canadians feels like a crime.\n\nMany greats have come from this flat land, like actors, athletes, soldiers and inventors.\n\nEven Charles Thorson, creator of many Loony Toons, who for many will be remembered forever.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOn the west coast, we come across British Columbia,\n\nConsidered by some\u0026nbsp;to be Canada's version of California.\n\nWith towering red-woods, centuries old,\n\nTo reports of UFO's and bigfoot, or so I'm told.\n\nMovie stars flock to Vancouver's lights,\n\nWith movies filmed in \"Hollywood North\" soaring to great heights.\n\nAnd with the 2010 Winter Olympic games, the world did watch,\n\nAs athletes preformed at their top notch.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd who could forget the territories in the North?\n\nThe cold, icy place that many an explorer went forth,\n\nIn sure of things like land and gold,\n\nBut often got claimed by the cold.\n\nPolar bears stalk the ice in search of seals,\n\nAnd arctic foxes trail behind in hopes of getting a free leftover meal.\n\nIt's the ancient land that the Inuit (not Eskimo) call home,\n\nAlthough now alot of their dogsleds have been replaced with snow-mobiles with crome.\n\nAnd although the future presents some trouble along the way,\n\nThe people there will find a path to live to see another day.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAhh, Canada, Canada, a proud nation onto it's own,\n\nThat I am proud to call my home.\n\nThe world has given so much to it and Canada gives back in return.\n\nIn the world wars, we fought as brave as hellfire burns,\n\nMaking the enemy quake in their boots,\n\nAnd who's peacekeepers (The UN trains them here) have often stopped world-ending wars fought with nukes.\n\nThese brave men and women are still honored in a special way,\n\nEvery November 11th, Rememberance Day.\n\nIn our nation, we've been a place to hide,\n\nFor people running from dictators who would let the deaths of their own people slide.\n\nMany greats come out of Canada: actors like William Shatner, for one.\n\nCreators, writers and millionaires (so much to be said and done).\n\nAlthough not all are proud folks that are linked to us,\n\nLike any country, we've had our share of robbers, murders and rapists.\n\nThe Great White North has had people like America's Bundy, Ted.\n\nPeople I wouldn't blame you for calling wrong in the head.\n\nRussell Williams, who gave sick new meaning to 'panty raid',\n\nTo the 'Black Donnelly's' who were unfairly slayed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut I don't let that bother me.\n\nThis place is still home to my friends and family.\n\nAnd it's not like there is such a thing as a 'perfect nation',\n\nEvery country has some sort of stain on it's reputation.\n\nBesides, it's history and in the past.\n\nBut I better finish soon before this get's old too fast.\n\nIn short, I'm glad I was born in Canada, where the human spirit runs wild and free.\n\nAnd maybe if more of the world tried to follow this, then maybe,\n\nThe world would be a bit of a better place, for you and for me.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}