Love Poem: Bridging the Gap
Assefa Dibaba Avatar
Written by: Assefa Dibaba

Bridging the Gap

when Spring River recedes 
we will break a ritual bread 
together
the lover plans

I would rather build a fence 
along the bank,
the woman swears 

at the daybreak, 
she calls a fence-builder 
to have him build 
a fence 
between her farm 
and her lover’s field  
on Spring River

say by fate or by will 
(or by divine intervention) 
the fence builder builds 
not a fence 
but a bridge 
over Spring River 

the lover thought, 
standing on the bridge:

bone-deep sorrows 
can distill the soul 
they don’t kill,
they harden and toughen
and cleanse and heal
the foul!