America as a Spiritual Metaphor

crossing the old north bridge in concord, a woman is enumerating all her real estate; her friend is looking at reflections in the water

a guide is telling tourists they've rebuilt this old bridge seven times; but every person builds it new each crossing

it’s not the metaphor itself that matters; it’s the depth of space between the ground and figure

thoreau once sold a boat to hawthorne and gave him rowing lessons on this stretch of river; today just autumn leaves are floating by

the shot heard 'round the world was fired here but it's the silence now that kills you


~Son Rivers 2009