he crosses the creek running through town  probably    eight ten times a week

its flow is diminishing

                         he lives in California they had a miserable winter  lousy rainfall

not two months ago the water ran from bank to bank

                                                          now

its reduced to serpentine tendrils of creeping water

when he crosses over it he cant help but stop  and admire

where hes from the Midwest   the rivers were always full

                                                                  now

if only they werent polluted

as a kid he swam in them

by his late teens

                    swimming would likely peel his skin or at least have a depilatory effect

used to fish too

 

    fish

              the creek

he keeps his eyeballs peeled

                                 enjoys the ducks the egrets herons cranes that stride ankledeep if they did in the water

from the four bridges that cross it he looks down into the water

                                                                   admires beneath the reflected blue sky the silver fries

it occurred to him todaymade him catch his breath

                                                              when the water ceases    

   the fries are going to fry

1315,  reggaefriday,  15  5. 26

Zen moment  zeemoment as the French might say  or not

                                                                    which occurs to him as he takes his nose out of the book hes reading to walk across the two-lane bridge that was erected in 1910  crossing Dove Creek

    he cherishes it

when mentioning that to his brother-in-law

                                              You . . . cherish . that bridge?

I do

Why?

 

    Stupid question

Cherishing a bridge sounds stupid to me.

Nineteenten

                  Show some respect for your elders woudya

Respect.   And cherish?

Youve crossed it

I have.

          Innumerable times, I grew up here.

But youre not impressed

I am not.

Rural bridge is a rural bridge is a rural bridge

                                                     Unimpressed

What’s to be impressed by?

he thought Ahole

               The waisthigh rails fashioned of formed sand pebbles concrete on either side of the road

The individual palisades supporting the broad capstone railing

                                                                     Its a work of art  Of engineering

The twelvebysix timbers you walk on an can look between to the water sluicing underneath

The rolled steel railing at its outer edge The recent chainlink fence strapped to it not six feet high not high enough to deter a jumper although the jump less one went headfirst snapping their neck woud more likely knockem unconscious drownem  probably only break feet ankles legs

    Whas not to be impressed by

                                   Id hazard a guess tha more things erected than not tha were made in America in Nineteenten have been demolished

Americans have little respect for aged things  people

                                                          Revere the new  The young

Unlike you.

Definitely unlike me

Every step as I cross it I relish  I run my hand on the beveledcrown railing

                                                                                      Its pure joy

You’re so easily amused.

 

Yet another joy I enjoy

                            I pity you  though he didnt say     

323preferred,  Wednesday,  6  5. 26

1041,  reggaefriday,  15  5. 26

Simon & Garfunkel  Bridge Over Troubled Water  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G-YQA_bsOU