THE BRIDGE by Mary McManus

Thornton Wilder said, "There's the land of the living and the land of the dead and the bridge between them is love."

I wrote this poem after a beautiful weekend of yoga teacher training in September 2012. Following a morning meditation. I was stunned by the contrast between my traumatic childhood beginning at age 5 with paralytic polio and childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse with my amazing life overflowing with unconditional love, kindness and compassion. This poem is part of a collection, "Songs of Freedom: Poems From a Healing Odyssey Volume II" which will be out later this year.

The Bridge

Restlessness filled my cells

in the dark quiet of the night

transported to another time and place

to remember

loneliness

coldness

numbness

a black and white photo

a snapshot

knowing even then I was separate from the walking dead.

Yet I was separate from the living

a wandering stranger

wondering

would I ever find my way

the veil of fog lifted

unveiling the bridge

soft lush green grass

purple wildflowers

vivid colors created by the hand of Divine Love

unbuckled my brace

quietly stepping out of my old shoes

my bare feet tickled

my soul happy and free

the bridge to nowhere

I am home.

'Romantic Bridge' by Cherry Jim

Mary McManus poet, blogger, and yogini left her award winning career as a social worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs in May 2007 to heal her own life. During the dark night of her soul she began to express herself through poetry. Her pen became a divining rod for light, love, hope, possibility, health and wholeness. She began her journey of transformation and healing which took her to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and, in 2011, to her yoga mat. Mary holds a BS in Public Relations from Boston University and an MSW from Boston College. In January 2013 she will be a graduate of South Boston Yoga's 200 hour Body Awakening Teacher Training Program. Be sure to visit her website here and follow her inspirational blog here To hear Mary read selections from “Songs of Freedom:Poems From a Healing Odyssey” visit her youtube channel here. Mary's books of poetry are available on Amazon here.

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~

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