.

I stand upon the Bridge of Sighs
as teardrops fill my weary eyes
and think of life that used to be
when she was still in love with me.

I watch the river down below.
My woes don’t interrupt the flow.
It catches all my tears that fall
yet makes no difference at all.

I grab the railing hard and scream.
“How dare the fates destroy my dream!”
Above my head, two blackbirds fly
and caw in answer to my cry.

I sit upon the Bridge of Sighs
as all the hope within me dies
and mourn the man I used to be
when she was still in love with me.

.

.

Dave Irby is a retired law enforcement officer and a U.S. Air Force veteran, currently living in Halifax, VA.

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10 Responses

  1. Joe Tessitore

    This is a powerful poem that strikes me more as a comment on the plight of our nation than it does as a comment on love lost, especially since it is written by one standing on the Bridge of Sighs.

    Reply
  2. Jeff Eardley

    David, lovely to read and a great song lyric if ever there was one. There seem to be many such bridges these days, many of which are sighing beneath the weight of lovers’ padlocks. I often wonder if they retain a key each, in case things go belly-up. Best wishes from England.

    Reply
  5. Michael Dashiell

    Your work shows that romantic poetry isn’t dead if even shunned by most poetry publications. It’s a little trite in spots but blossoms with compelling lines.

    Reply
  6. Margaret Coats

    A sad but lovely song, indeed. I love the refrain, and also like the little detail of the blackbirds. The pair of them answering the single speaker heightens the melancholy.

    Reply
  7. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    David, this is simply beautiful in its brevity and agony. As Jeff says, “a great song lyric if ever there was one”.

    Reply
  8. Cynthia Erlandson

    This is beautiful without being maudlin. I love the images of tears falling into the river yet not making a difference, and the answering blackbirds.

    Reply
  9. C.B. Anderson

    I know that bridge, David. You didn’t have to remind me of it, but you did. I’ll get over it, as always.

    Reply
  10. Satyananda Sarangi

    Dear Mr. Irby! Greetings.

    This Bridge of Sighs is old yet strong,
    The hands of Time have carved its shape;
    I hear a voice that hums my song
    Beneath these walls, there’s no escape!

    How grief engulfs the heart and stays
    Akin to rhyme of lovelorn bards!
    To find relief of years in days,
    Where tears are held in high regard.

    ©️ Satyananda Sarangi

    Your poem led me to write the above lines.

    Best wishes.

    Reply

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