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.