His paths of life will never cross
he knows how dreams can wither
The tolls to cross the bridge are high
as fortunes slowly slither
he tries to hide the bile within
on polished shoes he wanders
quite opposite the roads of wish
as in bitterness he ponders
His footsteps pull him further down
as his human soul’s destroyed
At beggars on his path he scowls
no mercy for the unemployed
He still recalls the day she crossed
and she said she couldn’t linger,
in barefoot dreams she left him here
so set to be a singer
In polished shoes he’s too confined
and all he thinks is money
she begs him to remove his shoes
cause barefoot is his honey
His face is set, his mind is grim
he cannot this surrender
this side is harsh where winners are
the others side’s too tender
Bridge of Folly, oil on linen, 122x182cm
Fore real toads we write on pictures by Mike Worrall. Also linked to Poetry Pantry
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November 10, 2013
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Epic.
Great write. Loved it.
ah, sad a bit that he will never cross that bridge…the divide between the haves and have nots….there is a cost and that it is too mcuh for him def makes this so sad for me…
On the road taken, on the road we are taking ~ Enjoyed the reflections on our journey Bjorn, the regrets & bitterness ~ I must also say the title is unique ~
Thanks for linking up with Real Toads Sunday Challenge ~ Happy Sunday 🙂
There is a sadness in this poem, Bjorn….a kind of yearning for something that is not to be.
I am quite a new reader of yours, but this one is my favourite or yours.. really.. great. epic as the first one said 🙂
you took me into the painting and right inside his mind where regrets and conflicted desire tumble…
A Sad Yet Beautiful Verse 🙂 Have a Blessed Day!
a bridge of folly in between the harsh and tender sides…….inner world exposed very effectively….
Stuck in the middle then, man who could not drop the rules to see what was possible. A hard fate, self-wrought but also embedded for generations. Brilliant write.
Nice reflection on picture…I feel exploding emotions of your character…
You have really brought the figure in the painting to life, and given him a history, and in so doing, you have brought an everyman to life.
I found those bridge paintings fascinating, with the water-reflected shapes completing the cut-outs–you gave the figure in this one quite a personality.
I enjoyed the story in this. Also like the “slowly slither” alliteration. Nice work.
That’s a bridge the speaker won’t ever forget crossing. He shadows us all, I suppose, though he thinks he’s bathed in golden light.
Wow. Engaging poetry/story. The last two lines are my personal favourite. 🙂
So sad when different financial circumstances separate people. You have expressed it very well Björn!
So interesting how you saw a person troubled with financial difficulties in the painting. You depicted the story well making the character come to life. Lovely rhyming. Hope the economy gets better world wide 🙂
Wow…I love the tango here…the summation is executed perfectly and I feel that the barefoot side becoming grounded with the earth is necessary to find a good balance. Your rhyme scheme really carries the reading along smoothly!
Ah, such a choice…
Different perspectives on what is valuable in life…Well done!
Very heart touching.
Cleverly done Björn and touches the heart indeed.
Anna :o]
Another interesting read from you! Fits the painting so well and reveals the folly of some choices. Those shoes hurt.
Edit? “footsteps pull…still recalls” – call me the grammar gramma 🙂
My most common mistake.. verb forms on verbs.. non-existent in my mother tongue… Thank you (and I have corrected)
love this particular tenderness:
“she begs him to remove his shoes
cause barefoot is his honey”
Your poetry is a delightful experience.
Wonderful marriage of image and words, bringing both alive breathing together. Really liked your poem,
Elizabeth
Love the imagery and sense of longing in this poem.
..and so happiness eludes him, I gather. Unbending, unwilling to remove his shoes “in barefoot dreams she left him here
so set to be a singer” … He chose money over love?
I too love how you made him real! We always wonder about those too tender….
Nicely done
strong pen, Bjorn. if I may? in the 2nd to last column, for flow, you can safely remove the word “about” and still have the same sense, while achieving the 7-syllable count you have in much of the rest of the write on the 2nd and 4th lines
You are quite correct.. there are 2 extra syllables in that line destroying the ballad rhythm.. you suggestion is great.
most welcome. I always enjoy your fluency with form poetry