Come to Celebrate by Anna Yin

For Mississauga’s 50th Anniversary

The dawn breaks with bird songs at Riverwood Gardens;
the stone heritage Chappell House looks over the Credit.
Through the lush green valley, the clean river meanders
with reflections of geese, egrets, swans and fishing men.

In the fall, schools of salmon rush through to Lake Ontario,
where white sailboats and yellow canoes come and go.
With the red Port Credit lighthouse pointing to the sky,
indigenous stories are chanted and retold on starry nights.

Mississauga from small villages evolved into a metropolis,
railways stretched and atlases rebuilt with the curvy past,
diverse and dynamic, now hosts myriads of inhabitants,
shared with ample colors, renewed wampum and peace pipe.

At the center, civic buildings sided by shopping malls of fashion
of fine crafts with cultural tapestry among eco-landscapes.
As the morning sun rises, near the busy airport,
folks from far and near stream into the city
with new energy, wisdoms and economies flowing…
Then after sunset’s splendid shows, the night curtain drops,
skyscraper lights flicker the city into another dream.

Mississauga, the river, the city offers us,
visitors, residents and dreamers, vibrant festivals:
From March Magic, Bread and Honey, Carassauga,
Powwow dance to TD Mosaic and Water front concerts,
homebound, global fusion, innovation,
all are dazzling and stunning with live music and vivid performance.

When the year wheel rolls to Celebration Square’s Christmas Concerts
and renews with the New Year Mayor’s Bash,
the city’s life cycle refreshes with harmony and strength.
So, come here, come to celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary…
Like me, you won’t want to miss each special moment!
You and I, one holding a golden pen, the other, a magic brush,
make marks for each historical instant and milestone,
Yes, that is what we will do:
that is how we celebrate each dream.