Piers

A pier can be the scene of many an emotion:

The scene of great joy
As big fish are landed,
As little tiddlers
Are cupped in small hands for the first time.
Toothless smiles;
From old age and decay,
From the loss of first teeth.
Whether to be taken home for supper
Or thrown back for another day
There are many causes for many grins
On many piers.

The scene of great angst,
A feeling of loss,
Hopelessness, fear and
Self-pity.
Of tears of sadness
And grimaces of despair
Plastered on the faces of those
That think to throw themselves into the
Raging waters below in a
Last attempt at freedom.

A scene of nostalgic reminiscence
As glazy-eyed widows and widowers
Wander the length,
Memories of happy holidays,
Of sandcastles, penny-arcades
And Punch and Judy shows
Pass through their minds.
Tear-stained handkerchiefs are folded
And placed in pockets
Only to be taken out once more.

But our scene is a scene of love,
Of shared fish suppers
And whispered sweet-nothings,
Of stolen kisses
And bashful smiles.
Ours is a scene of
Romantic innocence,
Both now and in years to come.