Paul Hertelendy
our poet laureate
WEDDING IN A GOLDEN STATE
In years’ and years’ employment,
How she toiled at humbling chores and cleaning homes,
And he at gardening and planting.
They devotedly sent funds they saved
Each month back home, a half a world apart.They met, the spark was lit, they fell in love,
As prelude to their sun-kissed wedding
So inspiring, taking on a dual-compass heading,
Linked to old-life shedding
And a mirth-and-laughter bedding.Like Cinderella, she’d transformed,
Appearing shyly in a dream-wish snow-white dress,
Now floating down the stairs to strains of Wagner’s Bridal March
As joyful tears abundantly began to flow.
Our garden deck festooned.
Balloons all dancing in the breeze,
White floral sprays cascading,
And a balmy Indian summer reigning grandly,
Punctuated by the sparkle flash from galaxies of cameras
Imported by the friends and guests
To document the happiness supreme
In all its rainbow glow.The husband was a gentleman,
Polite and deferential,
With a courtly straight-backed dignity,
Who voiced the texts culled from the Spanish Bible
Fusing common Latin heritage.The minister was I, a novice deputized perfunct’r’ly
By state authority (and thus I guess by actor-gov’nor Terminator too)
For this single, wondrous act
This single, wondrous moment of a time engraving memories
Immutably in granite bedrock of the mind.The metamorphosis was underway,
About to alter lifestyles, thoughts and goal perspectives evermore.The prayers rose up like morning mist
To ask Almighty’s blessing
As the hands were joined,
The rings exchanged,
The promises intoned---
A fairy tale that peaked in magic of a tender kiss
To long applause
To mark an end and new beginning,
Alpha and omega all in one.No turtle-doves looked more exultant,
More fulfilled,
More radiant.
Garden squirrels scampered as if captivated,
Wrens were flitting, chirping, reveling,
And flowers made most aromatic halos
Consecrating gloriously the charismatic ampersand.The clink of champagne flutes sent signals to the distant mountain
Of festivities to weld these two
And speed them on their new-joined way.
The sun then painted western sky in rose and orange
As it slipped into the bay
To close this matchless, faultless day,
The main-stage prologue to (I hope!) a long-run dual play.Ask me not how well I fared,
Delivering this ministry in brevity,
This standing-in responsibility
So nuclear in human dignity and power,
No, not now, but later---maybe after 20, 30 years
Of sand and grit and bliss
Have settled on their winding marriage pathway
Paved today in aspiration, faith and hearts of gold.
By Paul Hertelendy
©2003 by Paul Hertelendy. The illustration is a composite of drawings from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA.Paul Hertelendy is a critic with the San Francisco Bay Area arts website www.artssf.com
To visit his website, click here: PAUL
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