Playing the Hand We were Dealt in the Bucket

Today we are celebrating --50 years  we have been married.

I remember that cold November day. We had  both been  teaching, and  we had been told in no uncertain terms  by my mother not to come for Thanksgiving if we were not married,

She did not want us to continue "Living in sin."

Actually we had already  gone to City Hall a few times  and gotten a marriage license at City Hall. But   we let each license expire.  I was too  close to the disaster of my first marriage.

I COULD NOT BEAR A SECOND FAILURE AND DIVORCE.

So we went down to City Hall one more time  dressed in our everyday teaching clothes. When we got there and filled out the form, the clerk said, "The Judge is still here; you could get married today."

I guess he had noticed the  other lapsed licenses.  

We have no witnesses I answered.

"Oh, I can be a witness and my receptionist  would also be happy to oblige."

So he herded us into the inner office and introduced us to the  Judge,

"We have no ring,"  I protested weakly.

The justice reached down and took the ring off a cigar.  "This will do until you get another."

With all my excuses shot down, we stood there and  made our marriage vows and signed the form that  he presented.

We were given the official Marriage Certificate and we ran out into the now dark and  drizzling night,

A couple of days later I  brought that document to my mother's house  to guarantee that we were not denied our Thanksgiving feast.

That strange marriage lasted these 50 years,

Well they say the first fifty years are the hardest.

So we hope for smooth sailing now into the sunset.

DARK TIMES IN THE BUCKET

 TUNING UP TO SING AGAIN IN THE BUCKET

Been back about a week after spending more time in hospital and rehab.  And believe me it is not a good time to be in either  place during this pandemic. 

 IT WAS A VERY LONELY EXPERIENCE. 

EVERYONE HAS TO ISOLATE FOR 14 DAYS. ALSO NO ROOM MATE AND WHEN NURSES COME IN OR  A CNA THEY  MUST GOWN UP AND PUT ON VISORS AND MASKS AND GLOVES. THEY DO EVERYTHING AS QUICKLY  AS POSSIBLE..

Draw blood or take vitals and leave. NO VISITORS!

But enough about me--- I Never like it when my blog takes a negative turn,

I hope after one more time in December  going to the hospital  I will be better and the Blog will recover too.

Then I came upon this poem.  That even --maybe especially-- in the DARK TIMES we must still sing.

excerpts from “Will There Be Singing”

Juliana Spahr

^ During these days, I would wake up and my head would hurt  and then I would realize that in my dream  I had said to myself that I should write some poetry. But my dreams never explained to me why.   Or how. How to sing in these dark times? It is true that I have been with poetry for a long time.  Since I was a teenager. Those loves of many years and our bodies changing  together. And yet also the deepening of this love. Despite. That day with the breeze in the bar And we said together, there needs to be some pleasure in  the world .  And next, poetry is the what is left of life. And we pledged, more singing. And we referenced by saying, In the dark times. Will there also be singing?   Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times. SO I am back and so is the Blog--still  singing.