a bridge abridged
by Charles McKelvy
Julie’s bridge in winter.
Having crossed the bridge,
I had no choice but to
Look back
And
Remember Julie—
Madam Holmes, if you will.
It was her bridge, after all.
Excuse me:
It IS her bridge.
The span belongs to Alice J. (Julie) Holmes,
Because when she was home at the
Holmes Opera House,
She would gaze fondly at her bridge
As she played bridge on her front porch,
Or,
As she would use words such as abridged
To best all takers
On her Scrabble board.
And it was on her bridge where
We remembered Julie
When she left us in 2009
To go where all
Chain-smoking bridge players
Go.
Up in smoke,
I suppose,
But,
We won’t know
For sure
Until we
Too
Are
Abridged.
1/24/13
I think of her every time I cross that bridge and of her commitment service with your prayerful words and remembrances. So much in the news about the Foreign Service brings back her remarkable stories of her career days. There will never be another Madam Holmes… on this earth at least.
All I can say is: Julie, we hardly knew ye!
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