The Bridge

The Bridge

There once was a bridge that spanned a vast sea
From one side to the other, you couldn’t see
On one side, a tropical forest where fruit did abound
The other side was barren, with hot dry desert ground

The bridge had seen many events in its life
On one stanchion a man had married his wife
Many a storm did batter its staunch beams
And plenty of sunlight had shone in bright streams

While it often witnessed the joy of humans in love
Many times it saw death, as people often dove
Some survived for a while, but would succumb to shock
For the waters far below covered sharp rocks

As time passed slowly, the bridge remained steadfast
Standing stoically in place while humans moved past
Though the terrain nearby underwent many a change
The lands near the bridge were always the same

The tropical forest longed for a few dry summer days,
While the desert pined for rain on its plains and bays
The ends of the bridge yearned, improbable though it seemed
For their lands to unite and share in every dream

To realize these dreams and share in this pleasure
Each would have to give up something it treasured
The desert would gladly give up the sand and dry air
While the forest would give up its lush tropical lairs

One day this finally occurred as if by magic
The desert was swamped and flooded, how tragic!
The forest saw its tropical growth wither and fade,
Its fruit once so plentiful, dried up and blew away

Now once again the bridge still spanned a vast sea
And from one side to the other, you couldn’t see
On one side, a tropical forest now grew
The other, a barren desert, where cold winds blew

What the bridge finally realized in the realm of life
Is that your environment can’t change without some strife
Often the grass may look greener on the other side
But be content with what you have, in it take pride

Jim Dorrell
4/10/07