Thursday, December 13, 2007

Bridges

In this nearby town there are many bridges. Here in one spot are four. Three depicted in this photo. The green one, with a brown one behind it. And on the right, another brown one hard to see.
Plus this one to the left. There are numerous others in another part of the town.

I am on a bridge from the person I was and have been for many years. I don't know where my bridge leads but I am not entirely lost. If I just put one foot before the other, I will get there wherever there is. When you're on a bridge there are only three directions in which you can go. I don't want to go back to where I was. I don't want to jump off. So forward is where my feet will take me.

Those around me, two of them, are on a bridge too. A bridge from this life as a living, breathing person into the unknown (from my perspective) of death. Mom is on a slow trek using her walker to navigate the bridge over waters of old age. SIL awaits her fate, walking with her walker, lying on her bed, the cancer moving though her body at an unknown pace. And I watch them and pray and bake cookies and ham and bring them Poinsettia's as they walk their bridges even as I walk my own.

9 comments:

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

This is very touching & Poetic. It brought tears to my eyes. It says so much about your life right now. You can say that about healing too. one step at a time moving forward over bridges. One musnt go back or even stand still.

human being said...

Gosh! i came here to thank you for your kind and friendly comment.. i faced this new post and i forgot everything... i sat minutes reading your words, watching the pictures...pondering...
And your words and your perspective was so poetic as cris said...
Just poets can have that spiral movement from a microcosm to a macrocosm and vice versa ...

How beautifully you described our choices in life which is like a bridge.. and how touchingly you described the way all of us pass over our bridges...
And your dear ones... i cannot stop crying... and i'm grateful for these tears you presented to me by your soulful words dearest Suki...they make me more human...
I'm more than happy i found you...

The important thing is the way we are passing over our bridges and the people who are accompanying us...
Those who have you are among the most fortunates..
P.S.
I'm happy you liked myla's poem...we usually exchange poems... the things we experienced by reading our friends's words..
I have written something about bridges seeing them as people... i will translate it for you my dear friend.

Anonymous said...

now the swinging bridge
is quieted with creepers
like our tendrilled life
~ Bashô

Lynn Cohen said...

Whoa, wow...what a powerful poem that is Suki! And you say you are no poet. Got news for you.
Whew! I am needing to sit and breathe this one in and out, in and out...this life trip, trip of life such a challenge in all it's stages, all the places on the bridges...I see myself there too...we are all apart of life here together...you swept us all in to your circle of bridges with your important others. Thank you for writing and for sharing this beautiful beautiful powerful piece.

sukipoet said...

Thank you cris, human being and Lynn for your responses to my bridges rumination. I am touched by your warmth and caring.

cris, I am touched that tears came to your eyes. And thanks for your reflection that healing too is one step at a time.

I think you are right human being, that what matters is the way we pass over the bridges and the people who are with us. I have a world of wonderful friends and am grateful. Thank you too for your tears. You know, I am probably very emotional in some ways but i can rarely if ever (except at a movie maybe) cry. Such a wonderful gift to be able to cry.

Love Myla's Basho poem. I like haiku so much. Simple yet not simple. So neat that you exchange poems and reflect back and forth to each other your thoughts and ideas in this way.

Lynn, you always sound so up and enthusiastic. I'm glad we're on the bridge together trying to make sense of life in all its ups and downs joys and sadnesses. Blessingsto all.

Unknown said...

Dear Suki,
I read your beautiful post yesterday and have been thinking about it a lot. I love the bridge metaphore which expresses your present state of mind and life-situation in such a poetic way. It sounds detached too, which is probably good cause you need detachement in this case.
Your post made me think a lot about hope and consolation too. Where do we get those if we are not really "religious" people? It must be as human being said, it is the people who are accompanying us.
Have a nice day
Andrea, pensive

sukipoet said...

Andrea thanks for your comment. Yes, this is all thought provoking. I do not see myself as religious, but I do see myself as spiritual, aware of things unseen, things of the spirit, things numinous. Things the logical brain turns away from. Maybe many creative people are that way, making things from "nothing." I do think what human being says is very wise. The people around us and in our lives are what give us support and encouragement as we cross our bridges or walk our roads and fields and ford our streams. Thanks for relfecting. Blessings,Suki

Lynn Cohen said...

Suki I feel the need to respond to your feeling that I am always/often up beat.
I have had my fair share of being otherwise, and right now looking across the bridge to the rest of my life looks shorter than the length already lived behind me. I am determined to make the rest more up beat than otherwise. I hope this will continue to be possible. I am not unrealistic, know that bad things can happen, but am letting go of the ones that already have and finding the joy there is before me, that I create now.
Thanks for letting me share that with you.

sukipoet said...

Hi Lynn, I commented on your response on your blog but here will just say I meant your blog was upbeat not necessarily the fullness of you in your life. The blog only showing one small facet of the bloggers fullness of person and being. Thank you for keeping me honest and accurate though in the way I talk as I do sometimes generalize and mush things up and approximate and so forth.