Living On a Wooden Bridge

 

Today’s poem is a rewrite of a piece original called “Living On a Knife Edge”. This poem was one of two, that I submitted to be published, but the other poem was accepted ahead of this piece, and so readers I’m posting this rewritten poem for you to peruse today…..

 

Living On a Wooden Bridge

 

Fire, fire, there’s raging fires

I need help to stamp out the flames

Burning down this old timber bridge

A traveler’s last causeway to the edge

Carrying today’s harsh realities

Spanning a lifetime dreams and fantasies

 

Rain, rain, there’s a Noah’s flood

I need help to stop the cascading suds

Fill the sandbags with riverbed mud

Smother the leakages with woolly rugs

Ring out the qualms and doubts

And refuse doctor’s drugs and handouts

 

Warning, warning, outside there’s a heatwave

I need help to see through the dusty haze

Douse the fiery furnace tonight

Close the doors, the fireflies are alight

Open your eyes, and view the glowing sights

And cross the bridge into life’s future delights

 

 

Ivor Steven (c)  March 2020

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ivor20

G'day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I'm an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those personal thoughts, throughout and beyond my life as a Carer. I've been blogging for over 2 years, and writing poems for 19 years. Of course a lot of my poems are about my favourite subject Carole, but since I've been blogging my writings have become quite varied, humourous, mystical, observational, and even a few monster/horror poems.

38 thoughts on “Living On a Wooden Bridge”

  1. there’s an urgency to your words here Ivor, asking us to hurry across that bridge, moments between events that are life changing. each stanza represents a timeline of sorts to me or rather acts in a play, rain, fire and dust, earth elements put to the test. thank you for sharing these words.

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  3. The repeated words and commands in this poem bring to mind a feeling of desperation almost as if one is at the edge of the bridge deciding whether to jump or not. Appropriate, I think, for all the calamities happening. Great write!!

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    1. Thanks Irma, yes, my repeat words are
      pleads/commands for help, and over the years, I’ve been blessed with good family and friends to assist me, … yes I’ve been on the edges of those bridges, rivers, fiery furnaces, many a time…. but here I am !!

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  4. Heart-touching poem, Ivor.
    Life is filled with challenges. We must not let them defeat us. And, yes, we often need help to get through. I’ve had to learn how to ask for help.
    Please keep crossing each “bridge” you come to, Ivor. You are an encouragement to me to do the same. When a new challenge that lands in my path, I think of friends like you and I gather up the courage to keep moving forward. Thank you for being that kind of friend in my life.
    (((HUGS)))
    PS…Jennifer and Mr. Cohen sound so beautiful together!

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    1. Firstly, Jennifer and Leonard’s touches me every time I listen and read the Lyrics… yes It’s song of courage under difficulties…..
      Second, your words of encouragement touch me deeply, and like you, I’ve learnt to ask for help…. and I’ve been fortunate to have had a beautiful supportive family and some wonderful friends….. (Teary…) (((Hugs))) 💙🌏

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  6. You are predicting the future which was before the bush fires, which are now and followed by the rain and be prepared for the heatwave to come. Burning all burdens of life gone by the flames of passion surely smoldered as the rains deluge soothes the inner pain washing the heartache from life. The heatwave brings a new start in life with the memories glow shining through. Joan of Arc she was very brave and she battled on with love and passion in her heart as so did your good wife.

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    1. Thank you dear Nanette, and you’ve a-judged the essence of poem superbly…… and I did write the original poem before the bushfires, but I didn’t mean it to be a prediction…. more of a statement about how life travels through cycles in Australia……. and of Course Leonard Cohen’s song and powerful lyrics were well suited to my poem…..💛💙🌏

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    1. Thanks Vanessa, and sitting at my desk wondering if I’ll resubmitted it somewhere else… I thought it was a worthy piece…. and of course Leonard Cohen’s lyrics for ‘Joan of Arc’ are outstanding… 💙💙🌏

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  9. Raw emotions of recent history and emails rapidly flying between myself and my best mate who was one of the guys fighting the fires – I hope you don’t mind I have sent him a link as I know he’ll appreciate your words here.

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  13. Wonderful, Ivor.
    I wonder if any of us are satisfied with a first piece of writing, whether that be poetry, fact or fiction? I know I never am.
    Apart from the odd one off, I write weeks in advance of publication, but I go back and edit umpteen times and sometimes even after I’ve published, I’m never satisfied, constantly looking for ways to improve. 🙂

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  16. Pingback: Living On a Wooden Bridge — Ivor.Plumber/Poet – The Bridgehunter's Chronicles

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