| On Marriage |
Rixes
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On Marriage I
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I walked into the park with nothing
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but a line on my face and the mark
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of indifference in my eye. The cathedral
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bells tolled from across the avenue. I heard
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the cooing of birds overhead
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and felt a snowflake kiss my nose.
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Faltering, I looked up, and behold—
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the lavender sky melting
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off the white wings of doves! When
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I screamed "Apocalypse!"
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nothing stopped, but my heart
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and I fell into the cold mud
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that caked over my boutonniere.
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(I heard the horsemen's armor
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ringing in my ears, or was it my bride,
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her heels, like trumpets, announcing her?) Such
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is the way I died or was married, on March 15th.
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On Marriage II
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I was before the altar with everything
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but something borrowed on my snowy dress.
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Mascara inched down my cheeks like molasses;
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the priest coughed with feigned worry. I heard
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a crowd gasping behind me and felt
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the wind pulling at my hair. Quickly,
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I opened my veil, and behold—
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expecting a kiss—I saw my groom
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tumbling down the steps. After
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I cried “Heavens!” I fainted
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upon the cherry wood, then the bells
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tolled. (I awoke, floating over my groom stiff
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as the Cross in a patch of grass; the line burrowed
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in his forehead quivered in spasms and snow
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did pirouettes on his eyelashes.) Such
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is the way I was married or died, on March 15th.
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18 Dec 05 |
Rated 9.2 (8.3) by 13 users.
Active (13): 1, 6, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Inactive (14): 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10
(define the words in this poem)
(119 more poems by this author)
(10 users consider this poem a favorite)
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Add A Comment:
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Comments:
wow.....
— UrbanAng3l
ditto^
— ducktape
Wow. This is really a great piece. Its so unusal but not in a bad way. I'm really not sure what exactly to make of it. I want to infer some deeper meaning to it but a part of me thinks that its there to be absorbed just as it is in its simple form. Either way it speaks to me in some sort of power that I can't put my finger on. I really really like the two perspectives and the last line of each poem corresponding. The conficting of that sentence also intrigues me.
— madderhatter
wow this is incredible rickey, how is it that you can write so well in a girl's point of view?
— Gabriella
i'll repeat the sentiments: wow
— unknown
Impossible not to adore.
— listen
Impossible not to like.
— listen
(impossible not to appreciate.)
— listen
I want to laugh but part of me is crying back in 1971, when I married or died on May 28th.
— Isabelle5
fantastic
— HandsomeHerb
I am absolutely beyond impressed. Original concept, flawless imagery.
A true Magnum Opus. 10 and favorite.
— teo_omega11
I am not surprised this is on the recent best list already.
Personally, I find this poem amusing in aspects regarding the consistency of your voice. I like how you suddenly sound excited in line twenty-eight. While it is not completely clear of what is happening, it is still nonetheless clear and that is a hard thing to do. There are many interpretations that can be made of this poem, as well as many other applications to daily life, thoughts, devotions, ideas.
I like how broad it is.
Aside from poetry, it is nevertheless a great story.
I was going to say that it needs a push, or some type of nudge, which would either thicken or quicken the flow of this. However, I see this more as a short story, which helps in my understanding of this.
Line twenty is cleverly worded.
I have been known to flatter beyond belief; I do hope that I don't flatten you with encouragement, that of which makes you hate me; sometimes, people like the harsh criticism; the only problem with this poem is that it is hard to criticize; it is a happy poem, about a depressing subject, that manages to carry out its intentions while still leaving an open mind.
Thank you for sharing this poem with me, as it has seemed to wed to my intelligence.
Perhaps I should devote this poem to Wednesday?
— Opinion
Great poem.
— LostxItxAll
i love yoooo so much thsi poem rocks!
— iloveyoo
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
rxs
— unknown
i'm sorry, i don't understand what the "line" is. Otherwise, it's pretty good, I just feel bad that I don't understand it better.
— unknown
impressed by this. i'll be back to further comment.
— SteelAngel
Wow... favoritized.
— lonelygirl
wow. that's just about all i can say about this poem right now.
— Food4DSoul
Glad to see you're still writing ;) Simply hillarious Rixes. Hillarious.
— coldromantic
love the spite of the last line especially.
— unknown
If your afraid of loneliness dont marry
sharply observed and executed piece - plaudits !
— Caducus
So vivid and intriguing! I really like the two perspectives.
— Eiranne
do not ask for whom the bell tolls, ... this is well structured but makes me think you got to see the worst side of marriage. Hope things get better...
— Trish77
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
Also, if anyone's wondering, I am not married. I'm only sixteen. xDD.
— unknown
does "march 15th" have anything to do with "the ides of march" from Shakespear's Julius Ceasar?... or just julius ceasar's history?
in case neone was wondering... in the play, Ceasar is warned numerous times to "beware of the ides of march"... and thers sooo many things that forshadow his death (wich was on march 15th, also called "the ides of march")
so maybe march 15 is significant because it symbolized betrayl?... since the senate betrayed julius ceasar "et tu brutus" (his best friend, a memeber of the senet, stabbed him along w/ the other senators)...
i'm probably lookin way too into it... lemme know..?
— mishambootie
this is very good. i read this the first time i came on this site and thought it was a very legitimate all time best. actually something interesting to aspire to.
— stint
Perfect in every way. So sad, but gorgeous.
— fallinforyou
Prose
— mcverse
lol, this was really entertaining, i saw it like a comedy sketch, great stuff =)
— Ink_drinker
All I can say: "Good Job"
- MP3 MIX
— MP3DJAY
boring not very good
— unknown
Umm... ok, seek help.
— unknown
Two points of view is a great idea, but the story is not the best. Maybe you could try again, I'd like to see the results.
— FolleRouge
i like the irreverence of your poem and its two-tier approach. I'll re-read and maybe comment further...
— greenmantle
Fantastic. This is beyond reality. This is beautiful.
Thank you very much. The division of the poem into two parts is very much what breaks the poem into two halves what need each other.
It is brilliant. I applaud you.
— OKcomputer
great stuff.
i got married and layed down and cried, wailed actually, that my life was over. for the whole weekend. so i have my own interpretation of this piece. and thank you.
elegant language. i enjoyed this piece.
thank you
i
— ilenelush
Hey, I like it.
I know what the problem was... you should know better than to marry on the Ides of March!!!!
— aforbing
Maybe you should stay single. Thanks for a good smile.
— unknown
what a score... i can't critique this in any decent form at the moment because i'm on my way out right now...maybe just erase 'On Marriage' from each canto's title (because we already know what it's about).
but i'll be back again. pinky swear.
— Virgil
barely a comment, no need to elaborate. 10/10. favorite. awestruck.
— rrichards5
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