Rings

 

“Wedding Rings” from AliExpress

 

 

magic lies within
amoral impurities
of yellow gold
circlets inscribed
with runic symbols
turned inward
on sanctified skin

powers penetrate
fortified fingers
overwhelming
retrograde skeptics
with confident peace
in contented alliance
to carry the years

powers that deflect
life’s punishing blows
with a two-sided shield
emblazoned with
sketches well blended
in portraits
revealing one face

powers that bend to
enwind iron strands
forming singleton
entity wearing
linked curves of
the lemniscate
promise of always

powers that convert
selfish forces
of ego into
cardiac passions
of selflessness
born of organic
commitment

powers that anneal
through diamond hot
passion compressing
one whole weighing
more than its halves
fused with more than
half-volumes of bliss

powers to create
from unhesitant love
new beginnings
new life in the thriving
embrace of a family
eagerly poised
for the future

powers to heal wounds
inflicted by age
with a mutual touch
of fingertip teardrops
adoring the scars
while hand-in-hand
memories smile

 

 

(originally posted April 2013)

Living the Vow

“Bride and Groom” by Sali Swalla

commitment is easy on the voice

hardly straining the tongue

barely trembling the lips

but once spoken

ineluctably alters the arc of a life

from the sound of small words

come corporeal large obligations

within beating flesh of the heart

no light fancy attends

the articulate promise

but oh what sheer joy is in store

for its diligent keeping of faith

Bands

“Wedding Rings” by Michelle D’Oyley

more than ritual
tokens exchanged in a church
proofs of devotion
committed by free hearts each
to the other forever

Here

Photographer Unknown
From pinterest.com

I am here
forever and always
where you need me

Touch the Tear

“Sad Man”
Painting by Ayse Deniz
From fineartamerica.com

one tender gesture
conveys fifty years’ worth of
love and commitment
sweet silent reassurance
that mistakes are forgiven

Apothegm

“Shallows”
Painting by Rebecca de Mendonca
From rebeccademendonca.co.uk

love can’t breathe
in emotional shallows
go deep or go home

Orientation

“Unmade Bed’
Painting by David Slonim
From davidslonim.com

love shares air as it sleeps
tender molecules float
in contented exchange
of sweet breaths between
face-to-face pillows

hearts and lungs correspond
compatible stirrings
invisibly synchronous
rise fall and rest
upon promises kept

through vicissitudes
storms and serenities
blended annealed by
commitment all the
psychical power of two

but some sleep faced outward
breathing their separate
perimeters curled in their
personal umbrae such couples
will never know time

Anachronism

“Old Married Couple”
Painting by Paul Klee
From fotopedia.com

we are oddly perceived
our plural singularity
a throwback caught up
in resentment expressing
warped modern integrity
we seem implausible
here in an era of self
where the tender life
clashes with hardened
existence beset by an
ethos of serial failure
commitment now strange
as the gift of affection
as quaint as a pledge of
fidelity lasting a lifetime

Marriage Acts

Photo from
ronedmonson.com

promises are kept
mutual needs attended
failures forgiven

dreams are encouraged
values drawn from one spring
self sits subordinate