for their brown fists put to work on bridges or thrown to the beasts
steps by steps like mules they mine blistering-hot rock sift
through loose gravel, props giving warning creaks
hang stone together and build that marvel heaved
in the air its weightless span crosses gaps, gorges
and joins the language of angles
brings strength or just an irritating mass, an interference with the land
absorbed in the hardness of the stone the bridge traverses our path: we take shots and listen
1
this is bridge 97
invisible forces emerge through the numbers in its name
as someone lost in its curves watches the water lines
under the arches
reflect in-between patterns of digital dashes
insistent sources in the presence of ghost
plants, deltas inkblot signs or what Suzanne
whose hair as a child was done with a steel brush
saw in reflection: inlets dots cracks an unfurled sock
all reliable distinctions on the surface
2
Art O’Brien from a collective known as the Freckles farmed land on both sides of the border —the British army used to blow up the crossover points that straddled North and South —Arthur had to travel miles out of his way to access the land — his brother Tomàs was once asked to carry a parcel for the IRA —his wife taken as collateral he gave a warning before the bomb went off—lucky he wasn’t shot as an informer —Róisín was released unharmed —soon after she got sick and died—of shock it might as well be said
3
the bridge becomes enlarged or smaller as it takes
the shape of language or another life source
self-healing balanced in repetitions between water and land
tucks us in, shields us overwhelms the noise from a carriage
above or whistles—the landscape makes such strange
noises—below the echo repeats:
there is always someone fishing littering hiding under the bridge
4
there is no bridge
no fancy imagery, an abstraction
not traced on any maps yet
improvised stepping stones and a plank
somebody misinterpreted the local dialect
and repeated badly replaced original words:
break step route step march
.
Melisande Fitzsimons
Art: Leonardo da Vinci
.