By The Broken Bridge

The sodden sky was ominous gray Halted wheels on fruitless span I knew I had lost my way When from earth shot up one old man! There he was by the broken bridge With soiled hands face smiling His long white beard hid agelong crease And bar him the road had no one thing! I asked him the way to the old fort For rolled the wheels in vain too far He caught me up in quick rapport As flew in the winds his monkly hair! He told the story when the English came And how they struggled in the hostile clime Built the bridge got the river dammed Now broken pillars of ravaged time! Twenty miles he said need to go Till you reach the fort now a rubbled pile On the left with you would be river's flow That's half an hour with a forty mile! I have so much to tell about this place The English bridge and all the story But I know he said with time you race If only you could spend an hour with me!