The Bridge Is Gone
(Saint Louis River / Flood of 2012)
for my father
Before the flood, who could have known?
And now it's done. Dad! The Swinging Bridge!
It's gone! I always knew, I wasn't wrong.
I was a child, you were young and strong
when you carried me, the fearful one,
that water roiling just below your shoes.
Dad! The bridge! It swung, and swung!
My sisters strummed their fingers along
the rungs and sang some made-up song,
while I shut my eyes and clung to your neck,
and clung, and somehow knew: my sisters
had the singing and the river, and I had you.
for my father
Before the flood, who could have known?
And now it's done. Dad! The Swinging Bridge!
It's gone! I always knew, I wasn't wrong.
I was a child, you were young and strong
when you carried me, the fearful one,
that water roiling just below your shoes.
Dad! The bridge! It swung, and swung!
My sisters strummed their fingers along
the rungs and sang some made-up song,
while I shut my eyes and clung to your neck,
and clung, and somehow knew: my sisters
had the singing and the river, and I had you.
posted by six spruce @ 2:12 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I'm stunned.
I am one of the sisters who crossed this bridge, singing and strumming my fingers along the rungs, as Carrie
clung to our father for dear life!
Now, with words and photos, she captures its demise.
The bridge with our father remains,
forever, in tact.
Beautiful. Brought tears to my eyes.
-Lindy
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