Bridges Path Poem by Timothy Long

The pain was too much for her to bear,
An escape was all she could dare,
So, Leslie Burke, in her young years,
Decided to let go of all her fears.

In Terabithia, a world of her own,
She found solace, she found a new home,
Away from the cruelty of the real,
Where she could finally heal.

But even in this magical place,
Sadness still had its trace,
For Leslie knew it was just a dream,
And reality could still be so mean.

She built a bridge to cross the river,
Hoping it would make her feel better,
But little did she know,
It would lead her to her final blow.

As she stood on the edge,
Fighting the thoughts of self-dredge,
She thought about all the pain,
And how she just wanted to end the game.

But then she remembered her friend,
Who showed her love till the very end,
And in that moment, she knew,
She couldn't leave her loved one's feeling blue.

So, she stepped back from the edge,
And let out a heavy sigh,
For even though the pain was real,
She knew she had to give life another try.

In Terabithia, she found her strength,
To carry on and go the length,
For her friend's memory, she would live,
And her love, she would always give.

So, though the tone may seem dark,
And the darkness may have left its mark,
Leslie Burke chose to see the light,
And embrace life with all her might.