"Till Death Do Us Part"

~ Ah, you shall be together,
even in the silent memory of God.
~ Kahlil Gibran

They walk
 together in perfect cadence

Both have silver hair, reflecting their years

 His hand gently supports her back, she steps onto the bridge
 My heart softens with this act of tenderness

I think they have spent a lifetime together

Every look, every gesture, is pure and honest-

 Each expression, softly echoes; "Till death do us part."

At the south side of the lake, a group has gathered

A couple have just concluded their wedding vows;"Till death do us part"

 I watch the young couple as they walk to their vehicle

Unlike the older couple, I do not see a shared tenderness

I am troubled; she opens one door, he, the other 

They appear to be in a hurry, so separate, so apart-

Most likely, they are on to a reception.

 I wish they would watch the older couple

Yet, I can see, they have no time for "watching"

They quickly gather the other members of their party

And hasten out of the parking lot

I feel sad; the beginning of their chapter seems so fragile

Yet the older couple, though perhaps fragile in years-

Have a  nurtured solidity about them; "Till death do us part."

 
Through shared joys and heartaches
They possess a  Freedom in being themselves
 They remind me of  two strong, beautiful trees
Growing side by side, their branches telling a story
There is nothing lopsided about either one
They have grown strong and true-
Life Companions; "Till death do us part."
 

Looking upward, I see two geese

They fly with graceful precision, their wings in unity

They, too, are together; their relationship revealed in flight

Each is made stronger, because of the other

Life is filled with such opposites, every minute of each day

Perhaps this is the Unseen Hand of the Universe, asking -

Only for a time, or"Till death do us part?"
 

~ Again, I think about the young couple;"Till death do us part"...

Alicia O'Hara 
Copyrighted Material;.17 August, 2013 

~ Beannaichte'
2 July, 2018

 

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