Pamela Garry

The Bridge to Nowhere

Construction of the skywalk was started during a time of war. The plan was to connect the student union to the library. It was a time when raw footage was broadcast directly from war zones to living room TVs (the little girl burning from napalm and running naked down the street). It was a time when student deferments for U.S. draft registrants ended; the draft lottery began; and protests on college campuses shot up (a screaming 14-year-old kneeling over the body of a slain student protester). The skywalk construction was halted midway and midair, with no stairs to the ground, and left hanging for a decade.

After the Vietnam War ended, the construction at the university resumed. The finished skywalk had ongoing problems. Water and chunks of cement rained down on people below. The crumbling skywalk was successfully demolished two years into the twenty-year-long War in Afghanistan, and the year of the start of the Second Gulf War.

endless peace talks
the harmony
blowin' in the wind

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Note: Line 3 of the ending poem is from Bob Dylan’s song Blowin’ in the Wind, 1963.

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About the Author

Pamela Garry fell into haiku during the pandemic. She especially enjoys the inspiration and camaraderie of The Haiku Foundation website. She is tethered by her family and friends, tai chi practice and walking, her synagogue, daily routines and surprises.

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