Bport or Hallmark Movie Set

In the greater Portland (OR) area there's an upscale mall that in classic prep style transports you to another world. It's Christmastime and walking into the small outdoor cross of shops one feels as if they've entered the set of a movie, probably a classic Hallmark Christmas one. The mall is clean, almost eerily, and if it's raining there are umbrellas available. Christmas music discreetly sounds through the growing gloom and the lights twinkle, not a single one burnt out.
Santa hosts children for pictures in the center but no screams are heard: decorum reigns. Shops are perfectly manicured and the smell of flavored popcorn and nuts intoxicate the senses. Many of the shoppers, perhaps browsing before a movie, are dressing in perfect fashion--understated yet elegant. Like a movie, the shoppers slip into acting as if they knew the happily-ever-after lay just around the corner, and time and money functioned differently. As if
for a moment
the uncertain
future coming
forgotten though
still a chance
laid its head
silently and
waiting for
the moment
to pass while
hope buoyed
up by dreams
untarnished
wrapped its arms
warm and safe
around waifs
longing for
a different
end to this
the story
we all must
walk out alone
the today
leading
unrelentingly
to the sure
tomorrow.