Treading Forward - poem

The world is dark,

I'm on a bridge

But can't see ahead.

It looks down-trodden

Like my thoughts.

There are planks,

But not regular, continuous.

I turn around;

No going back.

Where was back?

Where did I come from?

How did I end up here?

Where is here?

I look forward;

It’s the only way.

I tread carefully,

Fearful of a fall

Into the abyss of the unknown.

My mind

Is numb, racing.

I try to block out the demons

Of fear and uncertainty,

Those that have haunted

My days and nights.

The bridge carries on.

How long will I keep walking?

No end in sight.

Something flutters in my periphery.

I look and nearly fall.

I stand still,

Only to be surrounded by silence.

Was it a bird?

I begin to walk again,

Careful to step on the planks

And skip the empty ones.

Another flutter,

I hear it but ignore it.

The sound grows louder,

The wind picks up.

A flock of birds?

I try not to look back.

Louder and louder;

I feel the bridge will crumble beneath me.

Will I be lost, forever?

Lost in my thoughts,

I almost fall.

The planks have ended,

Leaving me in the middle of nowhere.

The fluttering is louder,

I venture a look behind.

"They're not birds," I say,

"Books! Sweet glorious books!"

My heart flutters too.

I welcome them;

And they land one by one,

Forming new planks in my bridge.

Shoulders squared,

Faith restored,

I continue on my way.

The path may be unclear,

But my feet are firmer now.

I carry on forwards.

Written: Monday, 11 January, 2016 for Takhayyal writing prompt no. 26.