San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly

MINA V. KIRBY
Ric’s Story

A man once stood

at the edge of the Bixby Creek Bridge

in Bug Sur

the wind blowing his hair askew

his intent to plunge

into the dark moving waters

below

He imagined that the impact

on the water’s surface

would break his neck

keeping him from experiencing the agony

of drowning

Almost immediately

his worries and pains

would float away with the stream

He stood

looked out at the cloudless blue sky

for what would be the last time

Just a small climb over the guard rail

an slight outward tip forward

he could let gravity

take care of the rest

He would have

no more financial woes

or fights with his family

no more feelings of being

not quite good enough

no more unsuccessful struggles

to succeed

But then

just for a moment

he let his mind stray

to a memory

of holding his daughter’s tiny hand

as he pointed out small creatures

in a tide pool

Unbidden

another picture appeared

of the day they went to the church picnic

of his gawky young son’s grin

and shout of joy

when they won that silly three-legged race

together

Suddenly he felt an intense longing

to enfold his wife in his arms

to feel her warm body next to his

let their tears mingle

to begin yet one more time

the work of living

together

He turned

walked away from the bridge

telling himself

that on some future dark day

he could come back again

After all

the bridge would always be there

But in that short time

standing there in the wind

something in him had changed

and he knew

as clearly as he had ever understood

anything in his life

that he never would

This is a true story. After a very successful life,

 Ric passed away peacefully many years later, at age 78.