Beauty and the Bridge. A poem from the Bow River

Bridge over the Bow River, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. © J. Ashley Nixon

 

Beauty and the Bridge

You looked beautiful beneath the bridge
Waving hair in a gentle wind
As I approached I could see more
And realized what you might have been

Your tan was no fake
Formed with days passing out
With some dead wood
Cast up on the grass

The scars on your arms
Told of frustration and anger
And fatigue with your life
Until you could find something stronger

As the big Bow flows
Through the banks below
Few can grasp what you face
Few want to know

So as runners pass by
Taking time off their wealth
The drain of life
Takes your health
And you await the next round
In the setting sun.

 

 

 

These photographs were taken in March 2014 while running along the Bow River in Calgary around the time of ice break up. They are coupled with a poem I wrote a few years back, on seeing homeless people hanging out underneath one of the bridges as I ran by.

PhotoPoetry in Motion is my occasional series of poems, accompanied by photos, inspired by moving along, be it by running, biking or taking public transport.

For more images, please see:

J. Ashley Nixon Photography