Take a Stroll with Me (A Wedding Poem)

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And and Elizabeth Wedding Poem

I know it’s not Shakespeare or Poe. Worse than that, I know it’s basically crappy High School poetry that should have stars and hearts penciled in around its margins, and I’ve resisted an itching temptation to edit it or improve it before sharing it, but I can’t. It’s my poetry, for my wife, and that makes it our poetry. I know if I’m to offer it up at all I have to do so in the naked honesty of exactly how I recited it on our wedding day.

Before we laced hands around the silver cake-cutty-thingamajig, and made the traditional first cut of our wedding the cake (that we never even had a chance to taste ourselves), I caught the attention of the intimate gathering of our family and close friends. I read, to a full and silently staring room, something I had written for my bride, my newlywed wife, Elizabeth. Everyone listened, but I read it to my Lizzie.

~

My sweet Darlin’

Can you take a moment that lasts forever to stroll with me,
Through time sliding to the past, toward our future that will be?
Let us wear the widest smiles as we stride  beside one another,
I will lay my next steps as a father and you as a mother.

Feel my ringed  hand,  encircled with eternity, in yours,
Certainty and strength as firm as tides pulling at broad shores.
Feel the open palm of my hand across your swelling belly,
Touching the two of you, gently, I’m not being smelly.*

* “being smelly” is our term for being a upset, mean or a butthead.

Look ahead and see the treasure of shining dreams,
Blooming ahead for us like friendly beckoning beams.
At last our fates with magic are beautifully interlaced,
And all our unfolding adventures will be joyously faced.

We will build our sacred home in each other’s hearts,
And bend the line where this world ends and fantasy starts.
Know  that my love for you is  anciently deep and happily wild,
I will always walk with you, my wife and mother of our child.

With endless love,
Your Husband and Father of Our Child

~

And then there was a kiss that shut me up for a good long wonderful while, with all of those shooting stars and hearts in the margins of my vision. My knowing hand on her tummy, full of butterflies and dreams soon to come true.

hands-holding

12 Comments

  • Jenny Hansen says:

    Very, very sweet!

  • Julia says:

    ah… this made my day. thanks for reminding me romance is not dead – though by judging the number of comments you’d say it’s in its deathbed or something.

  • Laurie says:

    Aww! thank you for sharing this! What a sweet and romantic gesture! Seriously What an amazing wedding moment!

  • Beautiful – My husband and I are coming up on our 25th (four kiddos later) I’m thinking of going through our old letters and seeing if there something we can read from our younger selves. Thank you for sharing.

  • Janette Henry says:

    Beautiful Andy! Funny and romantic…your wife’s a lucky lady 🙂

  • Gale says:

    🙂 Beautiful!

  • Karla says:

    This is so beautiful!! Andy your wife is a lucky lady..and you Sir are one of the good ones. Best wishes for a long blessed happy life.

  • K says:

    Man, I hate my husband.

  • Desiree Fawn says:

    I sometimes imagine what I might say to my mister should we tie the knot in the future.. and I actually can’t even think a whole sentence without crying. You’re amazing for getting through that whole poem in one piece!

    Wishing you guys a life of love 🙂

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