the magic of the simple word “together”…
Hot, bright day. Clasped hands. A loving newfoundland,
panting, garlanded, guards bride and groom. Young man
grins in trimmed red whiskers, as the young woman,
baby’s breath held in black hair, smiles bright as light,
white teeth, daises and wedding dress together.
Three, circled by green and flowers, full of life.
Too soon the old shaggy dog leaves their new life.
They bury her near sea, on family land,
the deep loss the first one they feel together.
Their new daughter makes them three again. The man
and woman make a baby of their light,
from simple loving, one day to be a woman.
That birth is long, time stretched with pain. The woman
paces, breathes, waits, pushes, pants, screams, pushes life
through her ripped body, brings it into soft light,
through water into air, first breaths, then to land
within nestling arms, suckling sweet milk. The man
stands rapt, bowed within love and strength together.
The magic of the simple word “together”,
that circle word said soft and clear by woman,
over salt water, through the air, spoken by man,
under the holy fire of the sun, all life
singing the same word, timeless through the island.
On top the grassed hill, they stand within the light.
With time, shining grows stronger than shadows. Light
pierces past darkness known before together,
past rapes and tortures known in childhood’s land.
Full grown, and children still, the man and woman
hold and heal each other, sharing new life,
this man gives for his woman, woman, her man.
Their second baby nestles to the walking man.
Against his chest, blond hair nods, reflects sunlight.
Dad’s laughing girl rides shoulders, bouncing with life.
Sleeping and wakeful children ride together,
grown strong upon rich mother’s milk of woman,
dream and play in their safe childhood land.
No man or woman could know altogether,
what promises in light would bring this woman
and her man. New life, within a newfound land.
~ Wry Welwood,
late twentieth century.
With grace, two wounded people can help each other heal.