To the man who nearly jumped off the 40th St. Bridge by Janette Schafer

To the man who nearly jumped off the 40th St. Bridge

It’s too easy to say we’ve all been there.
I’ve walked across crumbling bridges
of things I’ve done and thought.
They talked you off the ledge.
I once did that for someone,
and someone once did that for me.
Everyone will tell you joy is coming.
It may take a long time to arrive.
I will make you no false promises.
I can only tell you they are right.
Weep this night. Morning comes.

*

Janette Schafer is a poet, photographer, playwright, and realtor living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She holds an MFA in Poetry from Chatham University. She is the author of three collections of poetry and the chief editor of two poetry anthologies. Her writing and photographs have appeared in numerous journals, newspapers, and websites, including Vox Populi, The Missouri Review, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and SWWIM. She is a winner of the Academy of American Poets Prize.