Home » Poems » Constance La France » Oh, the Beautiful Rideau Canal

Notes About The Poem

The Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. These falls are the beginning of the canal, that turns into a placid waterway in time and winds its way through the city.

When I was a child, I fell into the rapids and was carried along and ended up close to the edge, where fishermen pulled me out. Still, I have always loved this beautiful place.

Oh, the Beautiful Rideau Canal


On summer, fall, winter and spring days, I roar over jagged rocks,
how people love to come and watch my crashing journey!

The story of my life began in 1831, that is when I was created,
humans made me, before I was just a trickle, now I am beautiful;
eagles soar above my mighty, crashing waves and ducks visit my pools.

Bike paths and walking paths through lush greenery flank my sides,
even strong fish swim beneath my tempest;
and in the trees birds nest and chirp and tweet all day.
until night quiets their constant songs.
To visit me at night is a thrilling experience as my mist embraces you.
In the winter, I have a special beauty of snow covered rocks and frozen waves.
From a dam, I have a fifteen foot drop into a gorge that winds and bends for miles,
under the blazing sun, rain and snow I am a dangerous surging torrent;
loud my cobalt blue water crashes on ancient rocks creating a white foam.

Really I was created to divert water to a long winding canal system, I am the beginning,
I hear the sounds of laughter and see the tourists watching my rapid flow;
do they realize that sometimes I have claimed a swimmer or a fisherman?
Even those who have tried to kayak my rapids have failed,
and their life's ended tragically .  . . 
Until recently people could come a sit on the rocks close to my roar.

Can you not see how dangerous I can be? It is the nature of me,
and once I held a girl with hair as soft as a spider web;
nudging her, I carried her to my bank and she was saved by fishermen.
Always she visits me, in summer, fall, winter and spring,
lulled by my roar, she says that I am beautiful and still she loves me  . .  .


___________________________________
June 15, 2016

Poetry/Acrostic/Personification/Oh, The Beautiful Rideau Canal
Copyright Protected, ID 16-800-671-0
All Rights Reserved.  Written under Pseudonym.

For the contest, A Place Called Beautiful
sponsor, Janis Thompson

Second Place

beautifulbirdplacesacrostic

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Karam Misra

Date: 6/21/2016 10:38:00 PM

Congrats on your terrific win, Broken Wings. You have very beautifully described the canal and its surroundings.~karam~

Charmaine Chircop

Date: 6/19/2016 3:49:00 PM

An outstanding poem Constance.

Joanna Daniel

Date: 6/19/2016 8:10:00 AM

Congratulations on a beautiful poem that deserved the win:)

Kai Michael Neumann

Date: 6/19/2016 3:26:00 AM

Congratulations on your win. And you know what? I am going there this weekend.

Sandra Haight

Date: 6/18/2016 5:14:00 PM

Congrats on your wonderful 2nd Place podium placement in this Premiere Contest, Broken Wings. A lovely place with so much imagery of 'beautiful'. 7 ~ Hugs, Sandra