Book excerpt: Based on a heavy dose of symbolism and metaphor, the poems reflect the ups and downs and the everyday experiences of life in general that make life worth living. Overall, they laud courage and perseverance and point to the trials and tribulations of life that must be overcome as if one were crossing from one bank of a difficult bridge to the other. The bridge is not necessarily a physical structure, although perceiving it as such enables the reader to interpret what the bridge could look like. The more important element, in a metaphorical sense, is what the reader may associate with the variety of experiences. Struggling to survive may lead to success or apparent failure, which spurs us to further effort either to devise better strategies or improve a preferred course of action. Whatever the result, it seems death is mans ultimate fate and should be experienced with the same equanimity as other setbacks and challenges of life.