Life, lived in a river valley comes
with its very own micro-climate;
swirls of mist, lingering dampness, the
frost that rolls down from surrounding hills.
Seasonal midges take turns biting
my exposed skin and flying ants swarm
in my face, in my clothes and my hair.
It also comes with the risk of floods;
depends upon the uncommon sense
of my not so local council to
resist the temptation to plan homes,
hypermarkets; concrete and tarmac,
on the sensitive surface of lush
water meadow. Maintaining and not
upsetting, the delicate balance;
treasuring this habitat as a resource
enhancing the lives of our future
generations with a green lung that
winds its way through the growing city.