tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3407624264627208128.post3285032819182065333..comments2024-01-26T21:38:25.924-08:00Comments on Duane's PoeTree: David Allen writesDuanesPoeTreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17053093400086634552noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3407624264627208128.post-29813815874375627352017-06-15T05:14:27.869-07:002017-06-15T05:14:27.869-07:00The Bridge of Sighs
One more Unfortunate,
W...The Bridge of Sighs<br /> <br />One more Unfortunate, <br /> Weary of breath, <br />Rashly importunate, <br /> Gone to her death! <br /> <br />Take her up tenderly,<br /> Lift her with care; <br />Fashion'd so slenderly <br /> Young, and so fair! <br /> <br />Look at her garments <br />Clinging like cerements;<br />Whilst the wave constantly <br /> Drips from her clothing; <br />Take her up instantly, <br /> Loving, not loathing. <br /> <br />Touch her not scornfully;<br />Think of her mournfully, <br /> Gently and humanly; <br />Not of the stains of her, <br />All that remains of her <br /> Now is pure womanly.<br /> <br />Make no deep scrutiny <br />Into her mutiny <br /> Rash and undutiful: <br />Past all dishonour, <br />Death has left on her<br /> Only the beautiful. <br /> <br />Still, for all slips of hers, <br /> One of Eve's family— <br />Wipe those poor lips of hers <br /> Oozing so clammily.<br /> <br />Loop up her tresses <br /> Escaped from the comb, <br />Her fair auburn tresses; <br />Whilst wonderment guesses <br /> Where was her home?<br /> <br />Who was her father? <br /> Who was her mother? <br />Had she a sister? <br /> Had she a brother? <br />Or was there a dearer one<br />Still, and a nearer one <br /> Yet, than all other? <br /> <br />Alas! for the rarity <br />Of Christian charity <br /> Under the sun!<br />O, it was pitiful! <br />Near a whole city full, <br /> Home she had none. <br /> <br />Sisterly, brotherly, <br />Fatherly, motherly<br /> Feelings had changed: <br />Love, by harsh evidence, <br />Thrown from its eminence; <br />Even God's providence <br /> Seeming estranged.<br /> <br />Where the lamps quiver <br />So far in the river, <br /> With many a light <br />From window and casement, <br />From garret to basement,<br />She stood, with amazement, <br /> Houseless by night. <br /> <br />The bleak wind of March <br /> Made her tremble and shiver; <br />But not the dark arch, 65<br />Or the black flowing river: <br />Mad from life's history, <br />Glad to death's mystery, <br /> Swift to be hurl'd— <br />Anywhere, anywhere 70<br /> Out of the world! <br /> <br />In she plunged boldly— <br />No matter how coldly <br /> The rough river ran— <br />Over the brink of it, 75<br />Picture it—think of it, <br /> Dissolute Man! <br />Lave in it, drink of it, <br /> Then, if you can! <br /> <br />Take her up tenderly, 80<br /> Lift her with care; <br />Fashion'd so slenderly, <br /> Young, and so fair! <br /> <br />Ere her limbs frigidly <br />Stiffen too rigidly,<br /> Decently, kindly, <br />Smooth and compose them; <br />And her eyes, close them, <br /> Staring so blindly! <br /> <br />Dreadfully staring<br /> Thro' muddy impurity, <br />As when with the daring <br />Last look of despairing <br /> Fix'd on futurity. <br /> <br />Perishing gloomily,<br />Spurr'd by contumely, <br />Cold inhumanity, <br />Burning insanity, <br /> Into her rest.— <br />Cross her hands humbly<br />As if praying dumbly, <br /> Over her breast! <br /> <br />Owning her weakness, <br /> Her evil behaviour, <br />And leaving, with meekness,<br /> Her sins to her Saviour!<br /><br />--Thomas HoodDuanesPoeTreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17053093400086634552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3407624264627208128.post-1272818311537274852017-06-15T05:04:02.593-07:002017-06-15T05:04:02.593-07:00The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Gov. William Preston La...The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Gov. William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge, commonly known as the "Bay Bridge") opened in 1952 and, at 4.3 miles (6.9 km), was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure and third-longest bridge; a parallel span was added in 1973. Before the bridge was constructed, ferries were the main mode of transportation; the first service ran from Annapolis to Broad Creek on Kent island, roughly where the bridge is today. Kent is the largest island in the Chesapeake bay, and the bay's main waterway is at its narrowest at this point. Kent Fort was founded by William Charles Cole Claiborne, a merchant from Jamestown, in 1631, making it the oldest English settlement in Maryland, and only the third oldest permanent English settlement (after Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, and Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620). Because of its height (185 ft above the water), the narrowness of the spans (there are no hard shoulders), the low guardrails, and the frequency of high winds, it is one of the scariest bridges in the world, and also the site of many suicides. The bridge opened in July 1952 and in September a Baltimore engineer became the first person to leap to his death; since then at least 75 people have jumped off, according to the "Baltimore Sun," but the Maryland Transportation Authority does not keep an official tally, and the state has an agreement with local media not to cover it in their news broadcasts.DuanesPoeTreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17053093400086634552noreply@blogger.com