Pier Pressure 
Pier Pressure
by Sara Ridgley
The mysterious 'they' say love is blind
but his is all-seeing
noting every nuance
any tiny step away from the usual
a sentence bitten off halfway
as she remembers
it wasn't him she started this conversation with
in bed
a memory swallowed as the realizes she wasn't feeding the swans
with him
a little more make-up than she used to wear
a fractionally shorter skirt
a fractionally lacier bra
a secret smile and secret stockings
he sees
he smiles
he hears
he laughs
he dies inside
and says nothing
because he loves her
and losing her would be worse
Saying nothing makes him strong
and makes her ashamed
so she stops doing
what he never accused her of
and he know when she's stopped
not because she wears less perfume
and more jumpers
but because she's gradually gentler
watchful but grateful
as if she knows
by saying nothing
he was saying everything