We arrived in early spring, the slurry it stank
The farmers said it put money in the bank
We found the people down to earth
Of new friends there was to be no dearth
No one asked "Are these ALL your kids, Maam?
When many families filled a fifteen passenger van
The Bible Belt, ever so many churches
Chilliwack has over 50, according to Google searches
Artists, too, but harder to find
Find them I did, and they were most kind
A fab little folk fest where I found work
For ten days I would dance, my responsibilities shirk
Fields of green and lakes of blue
Ribbons of silver rivers, too
Mountains in a ring all around
Rising like castles from the ground
Flood plain living comes with warnings
We check the weather forecast in the mornings
People shocked by how much I walk
But they almost always stop for a talk (often about the weather)
The wind can be fierce, the ice storms the worst
The swampy hot summer will give you a thirst
The autumn is nice, discuss it we must, but
With all the rain the leaves don't change, they rust
Agassiz, Chilliwack, Mission, Harrison, Hope
Agassiz' the hub, the rest make the spokes
We love to drive between all these places
The beauty that surrounds us puts smiles on our faces
We're lucky to live here, we remind each other
Our girls have left and so have their brothers
But, we have stayed for twenty years
If we ever leave, it will be with tears
Fraser Valley, yes, you have been good to us
Formed our family, gained our trust
Life here has been rich and abundant
I'll stop now, before this ode is redundant
Until next time,
Rebecca
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