Remember :: Budapest

The children and I walked our streets
In search for our perfect Christmas tree
"Please give me a home." whispered a fallen branch
Thankful, he could come home with us before lunch

Prepared his seat in the living room corner
The family naturally gathered together  
As a blanket was laid upon his cold feet 
Flashbacks of white snow falling the Budapest streets 

Songs of Magyar Népmesék soothed my mind
Bronze bauble with the letter R inscribed
Suspended together with the other treasures
Each held a personal tale of how they came to be here

Our first stood on the glass bridge in a trance
Mesmerised by pendulums of 4 and 6 trams
He too fell in love with her unconditionally
Art nouveau oozed onto tracks romantically 

Beautiful architecture veiled deeper psychological scars
Intricate details hidden like a nightjar
Zoo animals paced to and fro in concerto 
Abnormally up close and personal with these fellows  

National Museum documented their sad history
The people strengthened from their miseries
Flakes of paprika snow fell like tears 
Their hope proved they are the right heirs 

Slowly undressed, our warm breath fogged the windows further
Dark shapes danced like fire together 
Streetlights outside made stars on the wet glass
Towards the night sky, pools' steam rose pass

Spouts of therapeutic fountains revived the wearied
Wise men moved the pieces with fingers so wrinkly
Chess boards floated like magic carpet 
Spinning in circles encapsulated in a small bucket

The Little Princess gazed over River Danube
Faux golden crown with mantle bejewelled
Her father sculptured her with love and care 
Captured her innocence that lingered there 

Serenade of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
How have we come so far?
Away from our families on this day 
We have chosen to be this way

Every year as we walk our streets before Christmas 
Fond memories recalled of this place first
Where cobbled streets hold torn stories
Together we overcame our crisis 

Remember :: Norway

African drum's stretched skin reverberated 
Joyous colourful dances paraded
Ravenna mosaics are fashioned
Where Nobel Peace Prize is presented

Vigeland sculptures whose mouths spoke silently 
Frozen emotions of humanity
Animated into life as we slumber
If our hands touched, we, might waver 

Here, the summer sun warms the blue skies
Green seas of pastures energise 
Cattle scattered hither thither
White-throated dipper twitter 

Trains carve oxidised lines on steep green canvas 
Seasonal waterfalls smooth wrinkles on crevices 
Wild strawberries as sweet as sherbet 
Awaken the tastebuds as they burst 
 
The calves guarded these treasures viciously 
Through the pine forest we dash quickly
Duck and dodge through segmented eye skewers
The herd chased and drove us to the river

Slid down slippery side of the impossible bank 
Sigh of relief rose and sank
Legs turned jelly when hoof prints were apparent 
Headlines flashed wild - "Survived 7/7 only to be stampeded"

Pledged our descendants with beef Fridays 
A commemoration of surviving on this day 
Resounding no to boiled lambs heads
Like The Scream by Munch, empty stare of death

Cycled nonchalantly with adventitious call 
Barricaded by a movable wall
As afraid as the herd's widened gaze
Keep our paused hearts in place 

Toes frozen snap in Fjordland's melting stream
Baby-like gurgling in a dream 
Sat on a rock rubbed flat by retreating glacier
Shared by weary travellers with grateful tears

As the boat approached Bergen's earthy colours by the harbour
Red timbered huts topped with green roofs are favoured  
Like a bride's hair on her wedding day
With flowers adorned brightly in her green hair