Roger Jones

Last night of the honeymoon

Pier 39 . . .  I wipe the Pacific mist from my glasses

After supper, walking down the boardwalk-like conglomeration of shops, cafes, and specialty places. A bit like what I’ve imagined Atlantic City might feel like, though I’ve never been there.   Fewer people are here tonight than during peak season. In fact, the area feels a bit deserted. We make it down to the end of the pier – a thick-roped fence looking out into the Bay which, tonight, early January, is socked in by darkness and mist. On a clear day, we could see Alcatraz and Angel Island, and, to the west, Golden Gate Bridge. But our trip is drawing to a close tonight.  Soon we’ll clank back up the hill, alone in our dark, wet Powell Street trolley car, to our hotel.  Tomorrow, the flight home, and the beginning. 

standing at the edge
of the long dock—
a tug boat’s sudden horn
lost in the fog;
we can almost touch it

---

About the Author

Roger Jones teaches at Texas State University in San Marcos. His haibun collection Goodbye was published by Snapshot Press in 2017. (Download a pdf version of Goodbye)