~ John Wengler
In honor of the West Shore Bridge and inspired by the 2022 Town Meeting debate about its repair.
Good morning, Brother
Said the Culvert to the Bridge
You are no kin to me
Came the icy reply
You but hug the ground
And I am at least ten feet high
But do we not ferry the same traffic
Asked the Culvert, span the same waters?
Perhaps, sniffed the Bridge, but for funding
It’s the family name that matters.
There is a bridge in Brooklyn,
And one over the River Kwai
Somehow the Golden Gate Culvert
Just sounds so much … less.
It’s still a good morning,
Said the Culvert to the Bridge.
We carry the same travelers
And usher the same streams
But we bear such burdens differently
And dream very different dreams.
That is a terrific poem! It is great on its own but particularly significant given our recent Town Meeting debate. Well done!
I wasn’t at the meeting yet still found the poem charming. But most importantly, I am so happy that the culvert, maybe bridge, warrant article passed! So many of your Stoddard neighbors with Munsonville addresses have missed the little culvert who was filled with dreams of being a bridge! Thank you, Nelson! for the warrant and the poem.