Episode 16 of The Jaime David Podcast is out now.
Check it out on Spotify:
Read the original poem here:
Here is the script for the episode:
Intro:
Welcome back to The Jaime David Podcast. I am your host, Jaime David. This is Episode Sixteen, and today we are diving into another one of my older poems, part of the ongoing journey of revisiting and reflecting on my past works.
This poem is called “Bridges and Walls” — and just by the title, you might already get a sense that it is about connection, division, and the ways we build or break barriers in our lives and in our societies.
Before I get into the poem, let me just set the stage a bit.
This piece was written during a time when I was thinking a lot about unity versus separation — not just in a political sense, but in a deeply human one. How we treat each other. Who we let in, and who we keep out. The structures we build between us, and whether they isolate or connect.
Alright. Let us go ahead and get into the poem.
Poem:
If you raise up a bridge, you build a wall.
If you tear down a wall, you create a bridge.
Why should we exclude some instead of include all?
Why should we divide ourselves and act cold like the fridge?
It is time we stop looking at each other like we’re not “the others”
And start realizing that we should start to love one another.
We’re all humans.
We are one family.
We’ve lived on this planet for many generations.
Sure, our ancestors may have caused much division;
Division that exists to this very day.
However, there is one vision; one vision I envision,
And that vision is an end to all division.
I believe it’s possible. It’s very feasible.
The first step to make it achievable is to simply care for other people.
That’s all you need to do to start bringing a positive impact to the world.
Post-Poem Discussion and Analysis:
So let us talk about that.
One of the lines that really stands out to me now is the opening paradox: “If you raise up a bridge, you build a wall. If you tear down a wall, you create a bridge.” It plays on the idea that intent and outcome are not always what we expect. Sometimes, what we think is a connection is actually a boundary. And vice versa — breaking something down can lead to new pathways.
Another piece of this poem that hits home for me is the line, “We’re all humans. We are one family.” It sounds simple, almost cliché, but in a world where identity is often weaponized and differences are emphasized, that line becomes radical. It reminds me of how easy it is to forget the basic truth that we all share this planet, and none of us is truly “the other.”
There is a tension in this poem between acknowledging historical divisions and envisioning a better future. “Sure, our ancestors may have caused much division,” I wrote. And that still feels true. But what matters is the choice we have now — to carry forward those divisions, or to be part of the healing process.
This poem might sound idealistic — “I believe it’s possible,” I said. But I still stand by that. Change does not always require grand gestures. The first step is simply to care for other people. Empathy, listening, reaching across — that is how walls become bridges.
So, yeah. That is “Bridges and Walls.” Let me know what you think, and if you are someone who is trying to break down a wall in your own life — emotional, relational, cultural — I hope this poem gives you a little push to keep going.
Thanks again for listening to The Jaime David Podcast. I will see you in the next episode.
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