Williamsburg Bridge ©Lauren Helf
Sept. 21, 2020
Another Year
The subway holds to the rails on the bridge,
passing over the river from shore to shore.
Below the bridge by the river people gather in silence.
A fisherman casts his line long and waits.
Families cast sins and read lines of repentance.
I throw open a heart full of words.
Before my father stopped using words
he'd tell me he played with his friends on this bridge.
I'd picture him happy, running over the river.
I hold on to this image now it's too late for words.
A swift downstream current pulls the fishing line taut
and forms powerful eddies at the base of the bridge.
The fisherman patiently waits for the fish.
The worshippers pray to their lord.
I'm holding the railing and silently calling
for someone to hear my words.
