Nan and Jim, together now
And I, a witness to the general joy
The white dress the white suit
Will you, Nan, be as Hera of the white arms
Or another kind of goddess?
And will you, Jim, as hubby
Take after tubby
The man on my right, four times married, the last to
The woman on his right
As he stares at the red flower on the breast of
The woman on my left
For whom he has just bought
A sherry and soda?
The priest, sweet-witted, said, why, your happiness,
Like faith, can only increase
Do you want it
Yes, I want it
(A no-brainer, thinks the bride)
Your two children dance, too
Spinning and cartwheeling
Years before, I dreamt of
My own wedding supper
The man, well-loved, yes
But what I really remember was
The end, when a band of
Monks in brilliant robes
Pulled me to the floor, saying
We are writing a play
And will you write with us
None of this has come to pass except
The end, when
Nan and Jim, for you I see
The whirling dance
The plaited hair of your daughters, blondes
Both already born, and dancing
I think of your bridal bed, much-envied
Its springy coils and matted sheets
Have a resilience
I am shy to examine
God knows how much the pair of you
Make an hour
Your bed can take it
