I.
Today, yesterday, years ago…
I had a voice, a strong female, estrogen filled to the brim,
Overflowing voice–
But a leather-bound 1611 KJV slapped hard till
I couldn’t speak above a whisper then
Silence. Voiceless and adrift
In testosterone oceans
Of those who tried speaking for me
But couldn’t.
Then, a man in a black suit, teary eyed
Stood waiting for me down the narrow aisle
Between pews and stained glass
With eyes watching, hearts joined.
He awoke my voice, my strong female,
Estrogen filled to the brim voice,
From its Silence
So we two could talk
Together.
_______________________
II.
Together,
Our lives fold up like a Swiss Army knife.
Together,
We cut and twist and open
Working side by side
Different and same
In one plastic red case.
Apart–
We’re just a bunch of tools.
Together,
We’re one.
_____________________
III.
Together,
We slip into the night
Day weary, work slogged
Bodies grasping for rest.
There below the picture windows,
Dishes piled high from supper,
Shut the door, ignore the unwashed sock tower
Dangerously close to toppling over.
Slip off towards living room and sofa
To weave our mundaneness
Into stories and dreams and lives.
Half sunk into cushions,
We mingle parts of ourselves into every word
Until we can’t recognize our separate tales–
Our story so intertwined into a unified plot
Pushing us toward forever.
But isn’t this how marriage works–
Two become one, equals and friends,
Spinning our stories from
You and me into us and we?
Today’s post is in celebration of Mutuality Week 2012 hosted by blogger and friend Rachel Held Evans. We are writing about how we egalitarians do this marriage thing, this equality thing, this mutuality thing. As a poet-writer, I bring my offering as poetry. Go and read several of the amazing posts, link up with the syncroblog, and follow the hashtag #Mutuality2012.
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I just don’t get tired of reading your poetry.
“Spinning our stories from
You and me into us and we?”
Yes, yes, yes. This is what I want. Absolutely gorgeous, my friend.
Marriage is such a hard subject for poetry. There is plenty of poetry for romantic love, but I would love more poetry about married love. So glad you enjoyed these today.
Beautiful, Sarah!
Thank you, Leigh. Personal truths are so beautiful.
Sarah, this is beautiful! I know the truth of the silence, the awakening & the oneness. Your poetry is perfect. I love the swiss army knife
After reading Rachel’s definition of mutuality, I couldn’t get the Swiss Army knife as an image for marriage out of mind. Thank you for you kind words.
Sarah! I love this so much. Beautiful and truth-filled, every word counts. Well done.
Why thank you lovely for your kind words.
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These are just lovely, Sarah. Thanks so much. Here from Alise’s Sunday list and I’m sticking around, too.
So lovely to have you visit and for your kind words. Always does a poet’s heart good to meet new people in this internetland.
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