The View from the Bridge

It's been a long time since I saw you,
too long since I touched your hand
or felt the warmth of your skin,
so the sight of you takes my breath away,
makes me stop and stare
as if a stranger,
seeing you for the first time.

I knew, of course, that you would return,
had counted the days,
marked them off in my mind,
but still the sight of you unsettles me,
makes me wonder
whether you have changed,
whether things can ever be the same.

I've seen the view from this bridge
a thousand times,
the chestnut trees that line the field,
sunshine glinting brightly through their leaves,
but now I see it anew.
I stand, waiting for your smile,
then step forward, to be near you.