The speaker needs to get away. Opening with a gasp for air, they head for a spot by the river and plan to stay there all night, even past sunrise. The setting feels quiet and a little lonely, a place to breathe and think.
The reason comes in the second stanza. The speaker feels devalued by "my own kind," people who once ranked first in their life. Staying to watch it happen would mean losing the worth they earned, and eventually themselves. So walking away becomes a way of self-protection rather than giving up.
The title asks whether this exit is temporary or permanent, and the speaker doesn't settle it. "However long forever takes" suggests they will stay gone as long as needed "for all to be fine." The mood is tired and hurt, but also firm. There's sadness in the distance they choose, and a quiet stubbornness in refusing to be diminished by the people they trusted most.