The Bridge
I stood on the
bridge at midnight ,
As the clocks
were striking the hour ,
And the moon
rose o’er the city ,
Behind the
dark church-tower .
I saw her
bright reflection
In the waters
under me ,
Like a golden
goblet falling
And sinding
into the sea .
And far in the
hazy distance
Of that lovely
night in June ,
The blaze of
the flaming furnace
Gleamed redder
than the moon .
Among the long
,black rafters
The wavering
shadows lay ,
And the
current that came from the ocean
Seemed to lift
and bear them away,
As,sweeping
and eddying through them ,
Rose the
belated tide ,
And ,streaming
into the moonlight ,
The seaweed
floated wide .
And like those
waters rushing
Among the
wooden piers ,
A flood of
thoughts came o’er me
That filled my
eyes with tears ,
How often ,oh
,how often ,
In the days
that had gone by ,
I had stood on
that bridge at midnight
And gazed on
that wave and sky !
How often ,oh
,how often,
I had wished
that the ebbing tide
Would bear me
away on its bosom
O’er the ocean
wild and wide !
For my heart
was hot and restless ,
And my life was full of care ,
And the burden
laid upon me
Seemed greater
than I could bear .
But now it has
fallen from me ,
It is buried
in the sea ;
And only the
sorrow of others
Throws its
shadow over me .
Yet whenever I
cross the river
On its bridge
with wooden piers,
Like the odor
of brine from the ocean
Comes the
thought of other years .
And I think
how many thousands
Of
care-encumbered men ,
Each bearing
his burden of sorrow ,
Have crossed
the bridge since then .
I see the long
procession
Still passing
to and fro ,
The young
heart hot and restless ,
And the
subdued and slow !
And forever
and forever ,
As long as the
river flows ,
As long as the
heart has passions,
As long as
life has woes ;
The moon and
its broken reflection
And its
shadows shall appear ,
As the symbol
of love in heaven ,
And its
wavering image here .
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !
I love my Church ,I will be at Neighborhood Church Sunday morning in Easley . Come check us out ! We love to Praise God ! Wining Easley to win the world .
