Creative Writing: Bridges

ARTS

One Step More

Standing at the edge of the worn, weathered bridge, I am frozen by the possibility of what lies ahead, but that small brave part of my soul nudges me forward. Don't look down! I don't even think about looking back—I know what is there. Ahead is the unknown.

Will this bridge stand? Will my body be able to get beyond the broken boards I see ahead, the loose wooden slats that take me on to the hope and promise that lie beyond the end of the bridge? Where exactly does it go? After all the risks and danger, where will I emerge? At the edge of a meadow filled with luxurious wild flowers? Or a jagged cliff dropping off the trail into a swirling rush of angry river? We do not always know where our path will lead, but we bravely move forward because standing still is not an option. One tenuous step more...and another... Paula Hofmann is a creative writing participant at SourcePoint's enrichment center.

Bridge of Dreams

The cold waters swirl below the solid structure. Dreams are often fuzzy, unfocused, and ethereal. This is where I come to sift through the debris of decisions. The should-I, could-I thoughts swirl along the nooks and crannies of the rocks, tangling with mud and branches snagged along the waterway. Dreams, like the creek, are sometimes slow moving on their journey. Crashing and cracking into barriers, backtracking and reorganizing along the way. The questions flow along with the water. How can I fulfill this hazy dream with its uncertain future and its blurred margins and boundaries? I ponder. I regroup. I sigh. I breathe. I cry. I don’t want to lay down the burden of my dream for if I do I fear it will be too heavy to lift again. Donna Bingham is a creative writing participant at SourcePoint's enrichment center.