What The Past Will Teach Us On Our Wedding Day

Poem for Rachel & Adam

Today we are all witnesses to the truth
behind the old cliché, “You get what you give.”

Pause for a moment, and look around you now:
these important patrons were mended by your hands—

they are a wonderful product of your past, your years
of giving more than you take, your actions over words—

your chance at a stranger’s happiness before your own.
These are the loyal men and women who would

cast an umbrella into the sky, tilt this ever-changing
universe and personally produce the sun, just for you.

These are your protectors, these are your apostles—
those who will unsheathe their swords, defend with fire.

These are your loyal allies traveling with you
across uncharted lands on a day so filled with love

you might very well be inhabiting Christ.
And it certainly is an overwhelming circle

that surrounds you, made possible upon the backs
of those that gave you life, taught you the importance

of feast, of food, of family, and all the simple
things this world so soon neglects. So think of this

day as a result of your beautiful past, your kindness,
your infectious energy, your bleeding hearts.

This is the world you’ve created. This is your
marriage, and the most significant reward of your life.