Letter to a Bridge Made of Rope—
To the shepherd herding his flock
through the gorge below, it must appear as if I walk
on the sky. I feel that too: so little between me
and The Fall. But this is how faith works its craft.
One foot set in front of the other, while the wind
rattles the cage of the living and the rocks down there
cheer every wobble, your threads keep
this braided business almost intact saying: Don’t worry.
I’ve been here a long time. You’ll make it across.
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Matthew Olzmann is the author of three collections of poems: Mezzanines, which was selected for the 2011 Kundiman Prize; Contradictions in the Design; and Constellation Route. A recipient of fellowships from Kundiman, MacDowell, and the Kresge Arts Foundation, Olzmann’s work has appeared in Best American Poetry, Pushcart Prize XLV Kenyon Review, New England Review, Southern Review, and elsewhere. He is an Assistant Professor of English and creative writing at Dartmouth College and also teaches in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.
through the gorge below, it must appear as if I walk
on the sky. I feel that too: so little between me
and The Fall. But this is how faith works its craft.
One foot set in front of the other, while the wind
rattles the cage of the living and the rocks down there
cheer every wobble, your threads keep
this braided business almost intact saying: Don’t worry.
I’ve been here a long time. You’ll make it across.
︎Add “Letter to a Bridge Made of Rope—” to cart
Matthew Olzmann is the author of three collections of poems: Mezzanines, which was selected for the 2011 Kundiman Prize; Contradictions in the Design; and Constellation Route. A recipient of fellowships from Kundiman, MacDowell, and the Kresge Arts Foundation, Olzmann’s work has appeared in Best American Poetry, Pushcart Prize XLV Kenyon Review, New England Review, Southern Review, and elsewhere. He is an Assistant Professor of English and creative writing at Dartmouth College and also teaches in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.
