Faith — is the Pierless Bridge
by Elouise
Am I lost? Wandering? Emily Dickinson’s poem has been on my mind for the last two months. Here it is, with my interpretive comments.
Faith – is the Pierless Bridge
Supporting what We see
Unto the Scene that We do not –
Too slender for the eyeIt bears the Soul as bold
As it were rocked in Steel
With Arms of Steel at either side –
It joins – behind the VeilTo what, could We presume
The Bridge would cease to be
To Our far, vacillating Feet
A first Necessity.c. 1864
Emily Dickinson Poems, Edited by Brenda Hillman
Shambhala Pocket Classics, Shambhala 1995
I remember a song we used to sing in church, always with gusto and certainty. It was about impossibilities. With confident voices, we sang about faith laughing at impossibilities and crying out (on faith’s behalf), ‘It shall be done!’ No shrinking violets need apply.
Emily’s poem seems on the far side of that song. Is it? I don’t think so. Both are about faith. Yet Emily’s rendition comes closer to my lived experience.
Emily paints a moving picture of an impossible Pierless Bridge stretching out, with no horizon in sight but the sky and water. It doesn’t seem to have visible supports or buttresses. Instead, it seems to stretch out not in front of me, but with me, step by step, as I make my pierless way across the water.
Here faith is like the invisible thread in The Princess and the Goblin. It supports my way across the water toward an invisible goal. My feet vacillate, uncertain where to go. I’m far out from the shore, maybe not far to go. But I don’t know how much farther, or what I’ll find when I reach the goal.
Boldness and courage seem paramount. Closing my eyes, I feel my way along. Not with my hands, but through the bare soles of my feet connecting with what must surely be a mammoth construction of steel, boulders and cement. How could there not be a pier?
I open my eyes, hoping for a glimpse of the goal, but see nothing ahead and nothing behind. Even more distressing, what’s supporting me is no larger and no more visible than one slender, fragile thread of a spider web.
Closing my eyes, I grope along, too far out to turn back. I don’t feel bold or courageous. The way is precarious. I’m full of questions and more than a bit of doubt.
I don’t have a map or a friendly GPS system to let me know when to leave one foot behind and shift my weight onto the other foot. I just know I’m being drawn and supported by something or someone greater than myself.
Perhaps this journey is about strengthening my vacillating faith. Then again, the point may not be my faith, whether weak or bold. In fact, I can’t believe that by the time I’ve arrived at the goal, my faith will be strong.
It seems this journey isn’t all about me.
Before my faith and before my birth there was something else. I imagine the Source of my life greeting me from within the Veil to which Faith leads me. Here is the One who birthed me. The One who boldly and courageously watches for me from the other side of my human life, spinning out as needed a fragile yet steel-buttressed thread of Faith—my Creator’s Faith in me. Faith that leads me home, just as I am and yet will be.
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 24 June 2016
Image found at pinterest.com
“It seems this journey isn’t all about me.” This is so deep and heartfelt, Elouise. I think you are right – I think the journey is about relationship and trust between you and God; that “steel-buttressed thread of Faith” between you.
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Thank you, Susan — for reading and for your comment.
Elouise
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And I love your last paragraph.
Spirit says that we do not only have autonomic systems to govern our breathing, temperature, heart-rate and homeostatic systems, but we have a spiritual autonomic system to help run our thoughts and our lives too, which gives us thousands of impressions and pieces of data each second, and which (if we can silence our logical and rational systems) will lead us infallibly. That is why faith is so important.
Lots of love, Elouise. Thank you for your posts, so beautifully expressed. 🙂 xx
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Oh you’re so welcome, Fran. I love the acknowledgment that we’re composed of many autonomic systems–bodily, spiritually (yes), and even relationally I would think. I also appreciate the big IF — “if we can silence our logical and rational systems.” Quiet, stillness and active listening are called for. A tough discipline, yet worth every second.
Lots of love back to you!
Elouise 🙂
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I always smile when I see that purple rose in my inbox, it means I’m going to receive a good lesson and things deep to ponder, and you never disappoint, something I have faith in, with faith the right things come into our lives, even if we don’t understand it at the time, it is all good and belief in something bigger than our conscious selves is a huge truth for me 🙂
Peace, blessings and how’s the eating going?
K
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Dear Kim,
Thank you for your kind comments. I didn’t know you had the purple rose pop-up in your inbox! Makes me smile. Life does indeed change in a heartbeat sometimes, doesn’t it? My eating is going well. I’m practicing my new chewing skills every time I put something into my mouth! Would you believe my jaw muscles are aching? It’s worth it, though. Slowly regaining my weight–still have about 6 pounds to go. So all things considered, I’m a happy camper today. 🙂
Elouise
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This is a wonderful piece. Faith is such a personal journey where we can’t see what’s at the end…like the beginning of most life adventures, we don’t know how they will end, but we trust that He will work all things for the good of those who love Him. ❤ ❤ ❤
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Thank you, crazyloveparents, for this encouraging comment. We don’t know…and we trust.
Elouise
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