The Bridge
I come back to the bridge,
Alone,
As an adult.
When I was here before, I felt like jumping.
I was with my family, young. My parents had remarried.
I remember retracting from the edge, a sharp intake of breath.
I had caught a glimpse of the
Choppy, swirling waters far below.
I'd heard the call of the void.
Now, I lean into the sky-blue guard rails,
Unafraid and grounded,
And stare into the water's depth.
Current pushes against boulder.
The shoreline quickly drops.
I admire it.
I'm still here, I think.
It echoes through my body, it rings in my soul.
I made it.
I am grateful for my own being, filling the space-time
Between that first bridge
And the final bridge, when my molecules of energy will rejoin Earth's cycles.
What will I do with the time?
What do I want?