Sunday, November 09, 2008

For my newlywed cousin.

I drag her to witness double marital meltdown, and still she dares to plunge! For her and her groom and for all my other wedded dear ones, a pocket-sized marriage poem by my (dead) backup fiancé, Gerard.




God with honour hang your head,
Groom, and grace you, bride, your bed
With lissome scions, sweet scions,
Out of hallowed bodies bred.

Each be other’s comfort kind:
Déep, déeper than divined,
Divine charity, dear charity,
Fast you ever, fast bind.

Then let the March tread our ears:
I to him turn with tears
Who to wedlock, his wonder wedlock,
Déals tríumph and immortal years.

(Pretty lovely for a single gentleman, eh?)

6 comments:

Unknown said...

divine charity....this man is good.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed reading the review of "Who's Afraid...". I didn't see the movie of it. It's surprising, and gratifying, that our old pal, Bill Irwin, was selected to play the husband, and then praised for having done it well.
The poem is SO beautiful. But I should ask you for the meaning of some parts whose meaning is unclear: Is "him" God? Is "the March" the music of a traditional wedding march?

Marie said...

D'Arcy -- Yes! I know! :)

Dad -- Kathleen Turner was great, but she didn't seem to give the role of Martha much of an interesting twist when comparing her to Eliz Taylor's interpretation, in my opinion. Bill was such a starling take on George, though -- so sharp and weak at the same time -- he really did earn that Tony he won. The whole cast was nominated, but if you had to choose just one to win, he was the one who deserved it. As for the poem, yes, that's how I've always interpreted it.

Marie said...

I would imagine that the reason he capitalizes "March" is that he wants it to indicate both the wedding march of the literal married couple as well as suggest the spiritual Wedding of the Bridegroom to the Church. He was a Jesuit priest, after all. Everything has a double meaning when you're dealing with a Jesuit priest-poet.

wynne said...

I'm not sure Gerard is going to take kindly to being called your "backup" when he is your soul mate, Marie.

Sharon said...

That's gorgeous.