The
Wedding
I
arrived at the church
A
few moments to spare
A
crowd already gathered
With
a mounting excitement in the air.
The
grooms all alone hoping not be left in the lurch.
As
the moments tick by
The
brides late again.
I’m
feeling restless, read the order twice
And
starting to think about the bloody rain!
Suddenly
a commotion. “She’s here” they cry.
All
the heads turn in unison
To
see the glory of the bride
Shining
with radiance and beauty
By
her side her father swelling with pride.
He’s
lost a daughter, but, gained a son.
At
last it’s all over, legally wed
As
I sit there waiting, the organ grinding away,
A
friend turns to me and says with a smile
“Just
you wait it’ll be you one day!”
“I
doubt it.” I said.
Outside
the church the cameras are flashing
Picture
after picture so that everyone’s taken.
By
now it’s raining again and is very cold
And
I’m so hungry that my belly is aching’
I’m
definitely not going through this kind of thing.
On
to the reception I go.
I’ve
never seen such a posh gaff
And
to be welcomed as “Sir”
By
a poker faced usher I had to laugh
And
say “You only reap what you sow!”
There’s
so many people milling us around
All
seemingly some distant relative or friend.
I
don’t want to drink, don’t want to talk:
I
just want to eat, will this waiting ever end?
Anyway
the toilets much be found.
Sitting
down with food at last
An
aroma so nice and pleasing to the eye
But,
it’s been so long I can only look
A
say to my companion with a wry
Smile
“Don’t mind me, I’m on a fast.”
The
speeches start, some in prose, some in poesy.
I
think again “I’m never going through this”.
As
the toasts go on I can only think
Of
my fear of speeches. Yes I’ll definitely
give it a miss.
“Raise
your glasses to the couple, for a future so rosy!”
Three
years later and all alone
At
the front of a church stomach all churning
So,
what I said on that date above,
I
look down the aisle, my bride now coming
And
suddenly my stomach begins to groan!
23rd
March 1994, London, England.
-Richard
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