On the way to the cathedral
Mermaid cut blush bridal gown
Packed in the trunk, they stopped
To admire a sunset, cotton candy
Pink with lilac ribbons.
He took her hands only by fingers
Drawing her to her knees
Pressing her face into the feathery
Cobalt grass, thrusting wildly
Uprooting bluebells and hyacinth
His rough manners muting the crickets
Her surprising language making the
Cows' eyes go wide
Jerking limbs crippling chickens.
After it was done there was a
Collecting of clothes
And later, brambles in her hair
She boarded a plane.
Skinned knees, bitten wrist
He drove alone
And all that was between them
Was a wishbone.

Oh, my Sweet, the end is quick and sharp, splitting
Our golden ship to microscopic slivers,
Clawing our neon emerald sails to shreds,
As the heart halts, the lip quivers.
Yesterday I dreamt it was our wedding night,
Your smiling eyes, breathless words, tender kiss,
Souls afire, intwined, in flight,
Iceberg tip of the things I will miss.

I hit my knees to worship
Unblinking emerald eyes
My new religion, His body
So light in my cupped hands
Of prayer.
At His request, I hooked Him
To the plough, wore a lacey
White gow,
A carriage, said He
To the center of town.
On a vicious, shrill song,
Frantic, elfish,
He did the grasshopper dance
Stamping down the remnants
Of my romance.
He barked inquiry,
My illogical affection.
Because I could not turn away
Even after He made me crawl,
Because He had been
Watching me through
The soup of space and time,
Because once He was
Inside me, it was clear
He had always been inside me.
Words are my greatest gift.
Fold the shiny paper,
Save the ribbons.
These are the last I waste
On the likes of him.

Wild eyed, trembling, as if to some maiden
Train track rescue, he drives from Tallahassee
Silver Porsche Boxter hugging low with
Compulsively crisp white shirts, kacki pants
With razor creases, a custom made Armani
Tuxedo in midnight blue, pretentious ruby
Cuff links, little red book of numbers of
Women who would vomit at the sound of his
Voice, two scallop shell wedding bands, a
Marriage license taped back together, cologne
Worn by few heterosexual men, photographs
Of children who will never see another dime
Of child support, orangewood cigars, a blush
Mermaid cut bridal gown that missed its final
Fitting, jars of Vaseline, pearls soaked in
Alcohol, Yanni CD's, nipple clamps, hazelnut
Coffee beans, eleven page prenuptial contract,
Two stone gray Great Dane pups with emerald
Eyes, four guns, two antique, one for self
Defense, one used in his second suicide attempt,
Passport, maps, lists of contacts to be declared
Legally dead in Haiti, dive-master certification
Study guide, Prozac starter kit, my phone number
And what he believes to be my new address in
Seven places, three in the car, four on his person.
At least he will be acknowledged by the official
Walmart greeter.
Walmart?
Because the day I left his house hysterical
I had to stop for tampons
And an elderly man with a big smile asked
How I was doing and for the first time
In so long I felt like a human being.