Brooklyn Bridge Poem by Kewal Paigankar

Made from granite, Rosendale cement and limestone
Connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn
The East River over which it stands
Moonlit and serene tonight
As I drive over it to a rendezvous
To settle a debt long overdue
That I had forgotten I owe
Reassured by the bulge in my coat
Fully loaded……..


It’s time to settle this
As I revisit my past
Old memories flash by
Some fleeting, others graphic.
I see oaths taken
Allegiance sworn
Hoodlums in smart suits
Prowling the city streets
With sinister intent.


In a deserted warehouse
Quiet, except for the shrill of the cicada
Shots reverberate
Followed by screeching tyres
As a dark Cadillac speeds away
A body falls, swaying
Kneeling on the ground
A Smith and Wesson in hand.


The police arrive in force
In response to the sound of gunfire
Brooklyn Bridge grinds to a halt
Choked by the traffic.
It is late in the night
Only the nihilists are out
To play their deadly game
Under the shadow of the Bridge.