Steel ribs hold the morning mist
Cables hum where tires kissed
He parks where the guardrail's gone
Engine coughs before the dawn
I carry weight that wheels cannot
Memory spans the water's knot
Forty years he drove this route
Now he stands where cables float
Wool cap pulled low on weathered brow
Thermos lid screwed tight right now
He traces rivets with his thumb
Rust blooms where the paint has come
I carry weight that wheels cannot
Memory spans the water's knot
Forty years he drove this route
Now he stands where cables float
White current swallows bridge light
Mist erases shore and sight
He came here when his wife passed
Now he comes to watch at last
Hymn notes rise from choir days past
Alto breath in wooden mass
Breath held long on final chord
Release comes when the silence moves
Checker plate worn through to steel
Meter frozen, final deal
Seat springs poke the faded cloth
Ghost of smoke still haunts the oath
I carry weight that wheels cannot
Memory spans the water's knot
Forty years he drove this route
Now he stands where cables float
He opens door to stepping out
Leaves keys on the dash, no doubt
Walks the span to midpoint now
Where the river makes its vow
I carry weight that wheels cannot
Memory spans the water's knot
Forty years
