So young to swear such promises

Solemn, silly promises

We could barely grasp

And couldn’t hope to keep.

And even as the bubbles burst

The voices who know better said,

“You’ve made your bed

Together live

And learn.”

A marriage is a day in school

Where we learn the languages

That Love has come to teach.

Here are the terms

Ancient and holy

We slowly, slowly

Had to come to terms with:

Have, hold

Better, worse

Richer, poorer

Sickness, health

Cherish 

Love.

Our teachers

Our mistakes

Innumerable mistakes

Sins of commission

And omission

Some unforgivable

And everyone somehow

Forgiven.

 

Our teachers books

That found us out

Touched our hearts

Changed our minds

Our wild dreams

Our dismal disappointments

Journeys that took us where

We never meant to go.

We learned from the unspeakable, luminous joy of births

And the bottomless nights of unbearable losses.

From our children

And our children’s children.

There were days of fire

And ice

Fury

And fear

And days of warmth and blessed light

In the shelter of this bay

Where we and a river are wending our ways home.

Where we gather with our families

Our children 

And theirs

And our family of friends.

Gather

Pause

Look up from our books

To say “Thank you.”

And “Yes, don’t we know a little better now

And hasn’t it been wonderful

And hasn’t it been hard

And haven’t we been blessed by one another,

My  sweet love,

My true love,

Love of my life.”

8 June 2008