Fernkloof fynbos assembles seven-year bouquets

Yellow pincushions position their needles

Bare feet carpet down Blouberg sands

Sun removes its U-V filter on darker skins

Boulders' penguins offer crook-necked greetings

Broaching whales echo reproductive joy

Steenbras waters trickle into deception's bay

Dedication's register reveals its truth

Prayers of a retired officer bring blessing

For the couple celebrating twenty times two.

Milnerton's lighthouse signals a private message

Anchored crane gives a horizontal bow

Canal taximan waves a steering wheel smile

Kelp forest ballet dances its rhythms

Strauss unmasks his Fledermaus

Fine Music Radio broadcasts Mendelsohn's march

Cicada beetles add their own tinnitus

Helicopter blades slice the air

Metro-trains sound level crossing sirens

For the couple celebrating nine before the perfect seven.

Contemporary music bands strum guitars

Batoned brass carols for Christmas

Waterfront troupes stamp and kick in dance

Aquarium fish glide with flapping fins

Sharks head for the open seas, leaving the bay

Fish Hoek's waves break their gentlest

Hout Bay spray showers confettily

Sand dunes sprinkle their finest

Forty beach balls bounce at the water's edge

For the couple celebrating five by eight.

Berg River Mill crushes ancient corn

The Mugg and Bean takes its time

Catherine Ahlida's carrot cake stands at the ready

Budgies speak a Louw Dutch Afrikaans

A star-gazing congregation applauds

Clouds unveil Orion's sword unsheathed in salute

Sunset strikes through the valley onto emptied skies

Granite tombstones speak silent with proteas

Ruby roses arrive to match the years

For the couple celebrating all four tens.

Fish Hoek

19 December 2004

(And the next day - The tablecloth unfolds on Nelson's other mountain.)