Love At First Sight

Love at first sight I joined the merchant navy at fifteen and women I met in faraway ports lived in shady bars and pink bedrooms, had raspy voices eyes as cold diamonds and laughter that sounded like broken glass; they only had time for crude words. By the docks in Livorno, Italy, a girl in a cake shop smiled to me, said I was a pretty boy. Pink I bought more cakes than I could eat. I had met a girl who liked to hold my hand, laugh and talk. We went to the movie, saw “La Strada” but the nearness of this girl was so overwhelming I could not focus on the movie. Happy day, yes I ate a lot of cakes. My ship had to sail for other ports, I was in love promised to come back soon. Sadly my ship never returned. My boyish love affair was forgotten in the carrousel of ventures and bitter love affairs. I don’t know why I remember her, guess she’s grandmother now.