The River Below The Steel Bridge Poem by Benjamin Chiu Uy

The River Below the Steel Bridge

The town of Carcar was connected by a short span steel bridge leading to the town proper.

a sun drenched rivulet, where children can take a peep at the steep river below the steel scaffolding while the rest were spinning their nailed tipped tops onthe surface the asphalt road.

With strings curled around their dirty fingers, they unwound with the flick of the wrist. the spinning top
on the sun drenched soft molten tar fleshed road.

throwing the sharp pointed nails on melting tar sending thechunks and shards of the asphalt splintersflyingin all directions

under the fierce sunlight, the defaced road glinted sliver in the reflections.

below the bridge, watch from the steel scaffolding above, runs a small river current catching the reflections of bright middays sun.

bellowhunched on their knees, were young provincianas bathing, partially cloth and soaking on the cold currents, ,

from above you could see the pile of their laundries pile on the steel basin laying on the banks,
some who finished the job piled them on their heads like a tallelfin hats, balanced precariously on their heads, as they left the river banks.

from such a distance i canpeer down at the sprouting tall bamboo stalks growing alongsideon the river banks and hear small distinct laughters and giggles,

girls talk and some singing humming of cebuano songs
of yesterday,

but at times it seems like time never stop reminding me of my hometown when i was a small boy,

cerebral spectacles that never left my memories
to justify why we left the town and a part of my childhood,

i missedthe small town Carcar,
which later became a city, another blooming city of Cebu.