There we stand, the minister
behind us, tall candelabra
on either side, palm leaves
sprouting unnaturally
around us, you in white
dinner jacket, I in white
wedding dress, our faces
unmarred, the world opening
before us. We are about to step
down from the altar, step out
toward the world, we whose
lives wait for children, for parents
to age and die, for friends to appear
and disappear—wait for joy, the wind
in our face, for sorrow, the shadow
at our back, the camera capturing
the moment before it all begins.
Connie Jordan Green
Connie Jordan Green lives on a farm in East Tennessee where she writes and gardens. She has published award-winning novels for young people, poetry chapbooks and collections, most recently Nameless as the Minnows from Madville Publishing, and newspaper columns. Her poetry has been nominated for Pushcart Awards.
conniejordangreen.com