For The Bridge Center, Part 2
Ingrid
Stocking
My ninety-plus friend lives on floor number five
And wonders why she’s still alive
She reads, she dusts and deals with pain.
She vacuums as she holds her cane.
She gardened with love for fifteen years
With the help of her husband, no longer here.
“There are much better ways to recover from hurt,
Go out in the garden and dig in the dirt.”
She lived her own words, until the end
When sciatica claimed her; she cannot bend.
At the Bridge Center we play on floor number one,
And even the basement – we never are done.
We laugh, we talk, the weather can’t matter
In a room full of friends, all trying to better
The cards, and each other, and understand
The millions of patterns that make up a hand.
We bid, we count, we win, we lose
We strain our brains, in a life we choose.
Some need tanks to take a breath
But as long as they play, they don’t fear death.
Some take time off to have dialysis
And some use card racks to help with paralysis.
Somerset Maugham – I will quote him again:
“When all else fails, it’s Bridge that remains.”
So thank you for having a splendid place
For the Queen of Diamonds, the King of Spades
To capture our hearts, and help with strife
In this game of all games, this game of Life.