Friday, March 06, 2026

The Bridge


For all our differences 

and they may be vast 

There has been a bridge 

spanning the gap


We have called this bridge 

by many names 

friendship, respect, cordiality 

kindness, acceptance 


Whatever we call it 

the basis has always been love 


This bridge is in disrepair 

crumbling from neglect 

atrophied from disuse 

bordering on obsolescence 

a practice gone out of style 


There are those 

scavengers, at best 

pulling planks 

from the crossing 

to build fences 


Creating barriers 

where once 

was passage 


Still today 

there are a few 

tenders of the connection 

keeping vigil 

over what remains 


They mend what they can 

plank by plank 

word by word 

hoping someone 

will cross again 


It seems 

their numbers wane 

with each passing year  


Boards fall 

Ropes fray 

The span sags 

under silence 


Soon 

those who remember 

the crossing 

will be gone 


And the distance between us 

will no longer feel like loss 


Only 

the way 

things were 


© Ron Simpson Jr. 


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