It was the year of Bordeaux cheese fondue
And St Emilion’s catacomb
Of steaming springs in Montagu
And cold Cape ocean tides of blue
There was Zurich’s placid lake
And Copenhagen’s mermaid muse
Paris streets and Seoul’s bright lights
And Corfu’s glistening turquoise hue
It was the year of Moscow’s Gorky Park
And Dexter’s secrets in the dark
Of Botero’s ark in Bogota
And the Petrol Christ in Barranca
There was Murano’s rainbow glass
And Burano’s colourful scenes
Da Vinci’s feats and Venchi’s delight
And gondola canals to emerald dreams
It was the year of scholars’ gowns
And triumph through the ups and downs
Of butterflies from the cocoon
And fireflies beneath the moon
There was Gothenburg’s white wonderland
And Bangalore’s ‘Horn OK Please’
Mandela’s long walk ended, now he’s free
This was the year of forty-three
— Wayne Visser