BROOKLYN BRIDGE: NIGHTFALL
By D. B. Steinman
Against the city's gleaming spires,
Above the ships that ply the stream,
A bridge of haunting beauty stands –
Fulfillment of an artist's dream.
From deep beneath the tidal flow
Two granite towers proudly rise
To hold the pendent span aloft –
A harp against the sunset skies.
Each pylon frames, between its shafts,
Twin Gothic portals pierced with blue
And crowned with magic laced design
Of lines and curves that Euclid knew.
The silver strands that form the net
Are beaded with the stars of night
Lie jewelled dewdrops that adorn
A spiderweb in morning light.
Between the towers reaching high
A cradle for the stars is swung;
And from this soaring cable curve
A latticework of steel is hung.
Around the bridge in afterglow
The city's lights like fireflies gleam,
And eyes look up to see the span –
A poem stretched across the stream
From George Gesner:
Eminent bridge builder David B. Steinman dabbled in poetry. Steinman and his firm was also in charge of the major rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Bridge in the mid 1900s. Steinman passed on in 1960 and his firm Steinman is now part of the Parsons Transportation Group. From the company archives, I have attached a poem D.B wrote about the Brooklyn Bridge, a bridge that was an inspiration to him throughout his life.
This page maintained by
Gary Feuerstein
17 January 2001