There is a tree
That grows outside my window.
Umbrella shaped,
On one side, cool shadow;
On the other, the sun.
People can choose,
Protection or fun.
An evergreen tree
On evergreen grass,
An azure sea
And cloudless sky;
An idyllic stage set.
Each scene a cameo of Cape Town.
A lone minstrel in the shade,
His once bright jacket
Has begun to fade,
Dolefully playing happy tunes
He hopes the tourists will enjoy.
His plaintive notes revealing
That in his world
These songs have no meaning.
The picnickers dance
And eat small banquets,
Long, flowing dresses
Caressing the grass.
They smile as their toddlers
Take first steps.
The homeless man,
Clothes and hopes in tatters,
Rummages through the bin;
But he is late,
There were others before him.
So, he lies in the soft grass
To sleep but not to dream.
His hunger has stolen his dreams.
A peloton of cyclists
Rush by on expensive bikes,
Checking their heart rates and speeds.
They do not even see
The ever changing sea,
The ever changing scene.
A cameo of Cape Town -
A stage set for dreams.
Dreams come true,
Dreams being made,
Dreams in tatters -
In the shadow of the tree.
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