The Bridge

I'm standing under the bridge
Watching evening fall.
There are seagulls overhead:
I listen for their call.
But there is only silence
Stretching all around;
I try to hold my breath, so as
Not to make a sound.

The sky's a muted blue,
The grass is quiet grey;
The bridge, it stands there, silently,
Showing me the way.
I follow for a while,
Futile though it seems;
And when I go to sleep at night
The bridge is in my dreams.

It reaches blackly out
Across the dusky sand,
Feeling through the darkness
Descending on this land,
Stretching ever onward,
Curved towards the sky;
Then back down in the distance
Where other dreamers lie.

One day I'll take this bridge
Towards its secret end:
I'll leave this place behind,
Leave family and friend.
Until that day I'll watch
As others journey on;
Standing under the bridge
That others walk upon.

Item 31: Grow Vegetables

Here are some photos of my vegetables I am growing in the garden. Very satisfying work.



What? Salad counts as a vegetable!!

Item 25: Find Some Worms

An afternoon in the garden has many delights, and worms are just one of them. Here's a big juicy one who helped me complete item 25.

Item 4: Collect Frogspawn

Alas! I realise that I have missed the boat on this one, and *gulp* I will never collect frogspawn before the age of 33! However, I am pleased to say that I did find a frog in the back garden yesterday.

Item 1: Roll On Your Side Down A Grassy Bank

This weekend provided the perfect opportunity for item 1. With the hottest weather so far this year, we went to the park and did some exercise with the sun beating down on us (not the smartest idea, I admit). On the way back to the car, I spotted some girls rolling down the slope of the park. At the risk of appearing to be a 32-year-old copycat, here's my attempt.

Item 16: Make Snow Angels

It's February, and I've only completed one list item. With thirty-three tasks, I should be completing around three every month. Gulp!

With the recent, prolonged snow on the ground, completing number 16 (make snow angels) was easy. That said, I almost missed the snow: it was beginning to melt when I finally got around to pulling on my wellies and throwing myself on the ground, so I'm afraid it's not the prettiest snow angel in the world. A bit of a muddy angel really. How apt.

The List

A few years ago, I came across a list. I can't remember what led me to the list, nor what prompted me to copy it, print it, cut it out and put it in my wallet. But I did.

The list was entitled "33 things to do before you're 10". Well, I was at least 25 by this point, and as I scanned the list, I realised I hadn't done over half of the items.

I expect it was a desperate grab at the fleeting tail of youth, but I made it my mission at that moment that I would do all those things on the list. Not by the age of ten, of course... but maybe by the age of 33?

You may know that I have recently celebrated my 32nd birthday. Of all the panicky thoughts I could have had about getting another year older (how non-descript is 32?!), the one that occurred the most was "I haven't addressed my list!".

So here it is: my "New Year" resolution - to achieve each and every one of the items on this list (even the things I have done before). Please feel free to join me.

1) Roll on your side down a grassy bank
2) Make a mud pie
3) Make your own modelling dough mixture
4) Collect frogspawn
5) Make perfume from flower petals
6) Grow cress on a windowsill
7) Make a papier-mache mask
8) Build a sandcastle
9) Climb a tree
10) Make a den in the garden
11) Make a painting using your hands and feet
12) Organise your own teddy bears' picnic
13) Have your face painted
14) Bury a friend in the sand
15) Make some bread
16) Make snow angels
17) Create a clay sculpture
18) Take part in a scavenger hunt
19) Camp out in the garden
20) Bake a cake
21) Feed a farm animal
22) Pick some strawberries
23) Play Pooh sticks
24) Recognise five different bird species
25) Find some worms
26) Ride a bike through a muddy puddle
27) Make and fly a kite
28) Plant a tree
29) Build a nest out of grass and twigs
30) Find 10 different leaves in the park
31) Grow vegetables
32) Make breakfast in bed for your parents
33) Make a mini assault course in your garden