Burnt Bridges Poem by Laurie Bremel

I am here,
at the edge of the world,
the smoky, misty place of indecision.
You, out there somewhere,
somewhere I do not know,
cannot reach,
and cannot even imagine.

You have left me here,
to wander in confusion,
wondering why it was you left in anger.
The smoke obscures my vision,
chokes my breath in my throat,
burns my eyes, causing tears to fall
in trails down my face.

It is as though you hide from me,
peering through the mist,
unseen by me,
keeping still and secret,
leaving me here to fade.
Laughing silently behind your hand,
covering over any loving kindness you might feel.

Tell yourself it is justified.
You are entitled to your freedom.
It is true.
But still, it is hard to be me,
and here, at this end
of the bridges
you have burned.

Maybe someday the smoke
will clear,
and I will see a way,
or perhaps even you
might decide to return,
oh, but how on earth will we ever cross
all these bridges burned?