CN Tower in Toronto

In Toronto late evening,
with my younger brother, Haldun,
4 years my junior,
together with my school-friend Onder for many years,
who also happens to be
my business colleague
in the same company.

First we were
in Cambridge Ontario
for business meeting
in cooperation
with Babcock & Wilcox Canada
for engineering partnership
in order to design,
fabricate, and construct
the first Blast furnace gas firing,
big industrial steam boiler
in Erdemir Iron & steel mills,
the biggest enterprise in Turkey

We had reciprocal company presentations,
how wonderful company we are,
how wonderfull company they are,
lots of talk,
tough negotiations
for engineering work,
scope definition and scope sharing,
and too tight timetable,
similarly tight scheduling.

Nothing scaring,
Nothing difficult,
No problem,
All fun, all joy.

After we completed
our business meetings,
negotiations,
courtesy activities,
we left Cambridge
arrived to Toronto.
We had two days
to have sightseeing.

First to Niagara water falls,
so much water,
so many beautiful sceneries.

Then Toronto China Town,
to see a modernised China,
although so much Americanised,
or better to say Canadian China.

Then at mid-night
we had some more sightseeing.
It was snowing day & night.
We saw homeless people
on top of hot air channels.
Drunks, street people.

My companions were
much interested in seeing
Toronto TV tower.
I said "No way!
I have high anxiety!
I cannot climb that high!
It is almost half a mile high.
Observation tower is half of that,
and it is still too high for me!".

I should be more careful.
They would make a trick
to take me up there.

We walked around a lot,
without me knowing where I was.

Somehow, somewhere
we turned a street corner,
there it was,
the Toronto TV tower.

It should be very expensive
to take the elevator.
We were short in money.
We could not go.
But no, it was free at that time.
Like happy hour.

It was Saturday evening after 5 o'clock PM
Happy hour,
and it was free
for all visitors.

Since it was free,
we should take the elevator
and go upstairs,
no other way.

If it is free,
You must take
And accept the offer whatever since it is free.

The first time in my life,
that high, almost half a mile up.

We took the elevator,
climbed to the observation deck
in a few minutes.

And then I had that high anxiety.

You would ask
how I board an aeroplane.
Aeroplane is different.
I do not have any fear,
since it is pressurised,
closed controled environment

This was different.

I lied on a couch and
stayed there
no joy,
until my brother
and my school friend
had enough time
to visit the upper deck.

Could I see the beautful scenes what are they?
Yes, but all scaring,
All difficulty,
All thrill,
No joy, No More.

Also this story seems
to be about the fear of heights
and the Toronto CN tower,
the rest is just an introduction--
I wonder if you really need so much there.

You may ask why I have this set up
in a poetry format,
but it reads like a story.

As a story, let me tell you more.

If you saw beautiful scenes on CN tower,
what are they?
How can I explain?
I saw nothing,

Also this story seems
to be about the narrators fear of heights
and the Toronto CN tower,
the rest is just an introduction--

I wonder if/ why I really need so much there.

Also, let me bring you
into my anxiety attack,
How to slow it down--
It is all with me.

That brings me into
my anxiety attack,
To slow it down--
You would't want to
have the attack with me,
The same when I return to the tower at home.

Take my word,
Do not take anything,
If it is free, when it is said to be free,
Nothing is free,
Nothing is FREE !!


Your comments are welcome !!


COMMENTS,

We didn't know it
But you are a poet
How nice
Babcock
Wilcock
Or Peacock
Birds of the same feather
Goldberg, Iceberg
What's the difference?
You couldn't have perched
On CN Tower
Cause if you were Shakespeare
You would have been
Locked up
In London Tower
Hausun Suyu von Terkosen
Only in Turkei,
They say
Oo, what a pityy!
Aber
Haus kaputt
Su kaputt
Gaz kaputt
Trafik sehr kaputt
Kaput ist kaputt, auch
Ouch!
That's why there're so many velets
In der Turkei
Avrupa Birligi pisshikk diyor
Hahhayy!
Everything's free in Canada
Except the money
That's why we call it
The lousy dollar
Monopoly money for sure
And Yanks discount us
More and more
But what the heck love is free
As long as you pay
Through the nose
For the dinner
Next time you feel like a bird
Try being a duck
Float in your bathtub
And good luck
Haner, Haldun, Haluk
There's a big difference
But you guys don't climb Mt Everest
Without assistance
You are Turks!
Be proud!
Go to the mosque and pray
Or shop at the Bay
On Yonge Street
Not over the cloud

Ata Guven, Vancouver, Canada