Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Prompt:
BRIDGE
The boy and the man walked through the woods.
One darted, then paused long enough to establish a new trajectory, a novice explorer on a new world; the other moved as deliberately as an usher at either a wedding or a funeral.
His path drawn by the calculus of curiosity, the boy focused on seemingly random elements of the woods; handed a baton and pushed out in front of an orchestra, the old man sought a tempo balanced between the joy of discovery and fear of the unknown.
“Look, a bridge!” the boy’s voice rang out with the unselfconsciousness found most often in the very young and the very, very old, “but why is there a rock on top of the bridge?”
“It’s a reminder, the only thing Adam and Eve were allowed to take with them,” the man crouched carefully at the base of the bridge and traced his finger over three letters impressed in the concrete.
“The single stone represents the promise of hope, that no matter how wide the space between us, as long as we stand on solid ground, we can, someday, be together again.”
About clarkscottroger
So are rocks the quiet ushers back to the garden?
I loved this six.
Surely must be.
Good six as always, but I was especially taken in by the song. It is a bridge to a special time and place in my life and always takes me right there. Maybe, someday, I’ll share that story. 1977 Whoa!
fricken ’70s! am I right?
Absolutely love that last line! So fitting especially now.
Thank you, Susan
Your descriptions of the differences between boy and elder moved me greatly.
Thanks, M
Killer Six! (yeah, don’t ask, lol)
Poetic, touching and very cool that it can also be read as if boy and man were one.
thankee
You do surprise, not a one genre pony.
I’m thinking the older one has walked this way before.
Thank you, Miz Avery… surely the ability to surprise is one of the few un-alloyed gifts from the gods to we lowly creatures.
Clark, you really got me with this one. Such a touching SiX. Tears streaming here.
Your third sentence is masterfully written, but your concluding sentence is a great reminder for all.
Thank you, Pat
Man and boy, finding their own tempo, moving at their own pace, both in tune. Delightful.
Thank you, Len
This may be one of your best yet, Clark. Love the juxtaposition of young/old, boy/man. The messages about loss and hope are not lost on me.
Now for that video – damn, that one takes me back to another time for sure. Music has such a way of bringing out memories, feelings, etc. that we don’t necessarily know we possess. Great one.
Thank you, Miz L. (yeah, that tune do drag a body, kicking and screaming (and offering to pay for parking) to the fablus Seventies!)
Great contrast and message.
Thanks! Lisa