Promenade

A bright pink dress with bows to stand out amongst others,

and a corsage boasting flowers and lace.

Young bodies sway and pose and stand

for their parents who invested so much in the day.

“Turn this way, darling” a mother squeals,

The explosive eruption of camera light

shines down on the kids of the neighborhood,

who adapt from blue-jean overalls to ball-gowns

and shaking rattles to slow dances.

One girl, coral dress, who had preened in front of her mirror,

lipstick tube gliding over her lips,

poses with her boyfriend, who

holds her waist

like you’d hold a photograph,

fingers unsure of where to be.

A boy in a black tux with an orchid boutonniere

toys with the notion of calling his date “beautiful”,

her hair up and doted with pearls and glitter.

A boy and girl stir at the thought of holding each others’ hands.

The heavy makeup and bursting energy will wear off in a few hours,

and the boys in their tuxes will still be too shy to say a thing to their dates,

but for now, their middle-age parents do their best

to capture another awkward moment in the life of their teenagers.