A Snapshot of Gouda

Quaint city of a famous cheese
With elegant, pinnacled town hall
Cobbled streets with shady trees
Canals and remnants of town wall.

A host of shops, all brightly lit
With enticing items on display
Watch out for bikes! You might be hit
As they zigzag past and block your way.

Amid the streets that twist and turn
A memorial to Jewish dead
On a quiet corner I discern
The mosque of Gouda straight ahead.

An ancient toll house, now café
Overlooks time-honoured ships
Heavy barges once held sway
Now used these days for tourist trips.

St. Jan's Kerk is the city's pride
The stained glass windows filter light
Across the flagstones deep inside
A dazzling, 500 year old sight.

Repairs are underway within
Workmen toil to renovate
This jewel of Gothic art; the din
Disturbs the silence at its heart.

The springtime sun on old facades
Focuses on vistas new
Behind old gateways neat courtyards
A living postcard to walk through!

(c) Poet in the woods 2015