Cry Canterbury by Rosemary Francis
(Commemorating cherished Christchurch childhood)
| CONTENTED
Clear, cold, cloudless. Clement conditions continue. Canterbury’s charming. Countryside cultivated; country-folk cheerful. Colts cavorting, chickens, calves contented, Cows chewing cud.
Christchurch City’s colonial centre crowded. Citizens continue crossing cathedral courtyard. Cafes, canteens - cheerful clatter; chattering customers clearly contented. Cars, coaches, cycles cruising crossroads. Children converge, clustering. College campuses - classes continuing. Cantabrians complacent. Christchurch calm.
CALAMITY
Canterbury’s crust, cooling, cracking. Continental- shelves collide. Crustal-plates contort, crumple, compound, Core contours convulsing. Conceptacles compress, creating caverns, canyons - catastrophic circumstances. Cauldron – churning contractions! Complex chain-events connect, creating colossal cymbal-clash. Cataclysmic collapse.
Crepitation; creaking. Ceilings collapse, concrete chunks crumble, cellars cave-in, closing crawl-spaces. Catacombs contort, creating claustrophobic conditions.
Chaos! Christchurch crushed, Cramped, cringing citizens clinging- Croaking, coughing, choking. Children crying, chaps cursing, caught, caged. Cars, coaches -contents crushed.
Crowds crawl, clamber confused. Crusher-dust, cement-clouds choke. Canterbury’s clobbered, countryside convoluted; crud-oozing cones cover crust. Chucked –up custardy clay creeps, contaminates. Clocks cease chiming, counting. Claxons’ clamour, cloying.
Charming commercial centre, cultural, Christian centres - character completely changed. Cross crumbles. Christ Church Cathedral collapses.
CONSEQUENCES.
Century-old city cisterns clog, crack; cruddy contents contaminating city creeks. Cables collapse; current ceases. Computers crash. Cell-phones- chargeless. Call centres, cyberspace clogged. Communication ceases, causing consternation.
Canals criss-crossed, consumed. Creeks curve; confluences change. Crooked culverts crack, collapse. Chucking continues covering countryside, corrugating, churning, chewing crater-like. Clogged, contaminated clay- crusty-ooze congeals. Crumpled cardboard collage- countryside collapses. COASTLINE
Cliff’s cleave; cornices careen. Craggy crevices clastic. Countless cracks causing crumbling; chasms, craters. Climbers caught, crushed. Conglomerate compresses; chunks caked; clods combine - cascading, crash; crushing cabins, chalets. Careworn commuters crowd causeway, congesting clearways. Clifton-Hill clipped Cave-rock completely camouflaged.
Capricious conditions - Canterbury HMS churning Cargo carriers, container-ships cruisers, craft cork-bobbing. Combustible cylinders, cargoes critically compromised. Craterland citizens cluster, consoling comforting. Commercial cargo-carriers cannot continue coming. Canterbury commerce ceases. Crunch-time. Cry, Canterbury. Crying’s cathartic.
COMFORT
Critical care cases crowd clinics. Comatose, choking, cardiac-stressed, concussed confused, catatonic cases- carried, choppered, carted clinic-ward. Care centres crowded. Concerned consultants confer, checking complications. Charge-nurses, calm, collected care-givers comfort, console confined, contused, conscious cases. Casualty count creeping.
COMMUNICATING
Choppers chunk chunking, Criss-crossing city-ruins. Carrying correspondents, Commentators contributing comprehensive, close-up coverage.
Camera crews circle city, Celluloid confirming crisis. Continuing-quakes, crescendo cranking-up. Confusion. Carnage. Chaos!
Caterpillars, cranes, carriages, chainsaws, cutters, containers commandeered. Convoys-military converge, combine, co-operate. Civil-Defence, construction crews, canine-sniffers called. Constables carefully combing collapsed city. Car-jacks, cranes create crawl-spaces, Cops co-ordinate crisis, civilians comfortless, co-operate.
CORONERS
Casualties confirmed, certified. Constabulary collect corpses, contact chaplains. Clergy console, commiserate. Coffins chosen, constructed. Coroners collate-case-notes. Coronial court confers cold comfort, Closure complete? Cry, Canterbury. Crying’s cathartic.
| CRISIS
City closed. Citizen’s-rights curbed. Christchurch crushed. Courthouses, chambers crumbling, Court cases cancelled. Chancellor-Grand. collapsed Crown- Plaza compressed, Clarendon crooked, Convention Centre cracked, Carlton clobbered. Clock-towers crumble, Catholic Cathedral convulsed Chambers-Provincial creaking; Contemporary Council Chambers cribbed. Convent cloisters convoluted, cluttered. Casino closed, chips cashed-in. Complexes, car-parks, compromised, crumpled. Cashmere cock-eyed; cinemas, concert-halls clubbed. Cenotaph capsized; cross chipped. Cambridge crooked, Crammer Centre caved-in. Childhood – Education College compacted. Cashel Mall - cashless coffin. Community-house cropped. Centaurus- Road cluttered, Colombo- Street contorted. Cowles-Stadium clipped.
CTV charred, charcoal cinders, coal-dust choking. Concertina cave-in. Chalklike concrete columns collapse Consultants carefully checking catastrophic construction. Car-fuel causes conflagration! Contributes complications, consuming. Corpses, crushed, cremated. Complete carnage! Cry Christchurch. Crying’s cathartic.
CROSSROADS
City-water compromised. Command Centre, Civil- Defence Control confronts confusion, considers carefully, co-ordinates, checking conditions. Crude crossroad corner ‘conveniences’ common. Container-city created. Colour-coded city confounds citizens. (Crimson conveys critical condition; Construction compromised; condemned.)
Country counting cost. Capital city concerned. Centralised committee, closeted councillors commiserate, contemplate consequences. Clipboard-carrying consultants clarify conditions, covering contingencies, conferring consents, charting course. Construction company chiefs converge. Contractors’ crews compete
Cleverly, Cabinet, CERA collaborate, control Christchurch City Council. Controversial case, causing clashes. Carking, confrontational councillors contrary, critical, cynical, cautious. Conclusions clear – crown-appointed Commissioners contemptuous; Councillors coerced. Cantabrians’ civil rights, culled; chosen council castrated; cowering
Crusader’s compound corrugated, crooked Cloisters cracked, chocolate-coloured cream-consistency contamination; clay clag causes corruption- condemned. Ceremonies, celebrations cancelled. Crusader’s Crater-land completely cudgelled.
Clerics converge Cathedrals conspicuously cropped. Clergy call consultants. Cathedral custodians- condemn cathedral cloisters. Clastic collapses continue, corrupting church-grounds. Contents cleared. Cracked chapels, convents, churches, crypts, closed. Christ’s Church condemned? Cry, Christchurch – Crying’s cathartic.
COPING
Council, concerned citizens collaborate- Clear city clobber. Cantabrians – courageous characters. Clean-up crews - cheerful chaps. Concerned carers, ‘cuppa’-cheer. casserole-cookers- combine, contribute comfort. Constabulary courteous. Crooks castigated, charged, Convicted; custody compulsory.
Canopy-city, contorted. Citizens camping, candlelight-cook-ups Clean-water coaches converge. Crossroads cleared, cleaned. Communal commodes- chilly, crude ‘crapper-cubicles’ created. Chilly canvas, caravans- cold comfort. Containers cocoon coastal communities. (cascading clobber-cover.) Crepitation- creaking cruelly continues. Conditions cause cowering creatures – cats, canine companions Confusion.
CAMPUSES
Classrooms cracked, colleges condemned. Camp-like conditions; crowded, cold. Clean-up chaos. Classes combined, curricula co-ordinated. Children constantly checking cell-phones charged.
Condemned colleges callously confirmed- (confusing ‘consultation’ conceals compulsory consolidation.) – conundrum. Capacity-crammed classrooms certain consequence. Closures condemned; Controversy continues. Cry, Christchurch children. Crying’s cathartic.
CONCLUSION
Census cancelled. City clear-felled Cantabrians confronting - complex circumstances. Crushed concrete collected. Clearing, cleaning continuing. Construction - Canterbury’s cash cow. (Cost-cutting, corner-clipping construction-, condemned. ‘Curly’ consents criticised). Contractors, councilmen cautious. Commission-Royal –commands compulsory code-changes. Cherished cultural compounds cleared Conservationists can’t comprehend cavalier confiscations, callous clearance. Continuing Cabinet-crony Commissioner controlling Christchurch’s civilian-appointed Council - compounds Cantabrians’ concern. Cry Canterbury. Crying’s cathartic.
Complete- change chance- Canvas clean. Course changed, contributions collected. Creative chapter commences. Campaigners, challengers compete. Citizens choose contingencies; confirming. Christchurch city core creation crucial. Civic confidence confirms Cantabrians consider compulsory Christchurch City contains colonial centre, convention centre, commercial centre, Christian centre. (Creative, craft -centre coveted)
Cafes, clients, consumers cogent, cosmopolitan community confident. Canterbury’s come-back crystal clear! (City coffers crucial; capital contributions consolidate.) Cavernous collapses, crises camouflaged, Calamity concealed. ‘Cardboard Cathedral ‘commissioned, Commemoration ceremonies conducted, Coronial-Inquiry completed. Caskets consumed. Citizen compensation continuing. Carefulness covers complacency.
Congratulations, Canterbury! Crisis confirmed citizens’ capability, compelling cohesion, comradeship, comforting concinnity; compassion, confidence, community connectedness. Courage confers character. Christchurch’s circle continues.
Cease crying, Cantabrians Colour city canvas cheerfully- Christchurch CAN continue.
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This page archived at Perma CC in October of 2016: https://perma.cc/UN5V-9CFA
