Poetry: The Longly-Weds Know

The Long­ly-Weds Know
–Leah Furnas
From To Love One Another

That it isn’t about the Gold­en Anniver­sary at all,
But about all the unre­mark­able years
that Hall­mark does­n’t even make a card for.

It’s about the 2nd anniver­sary when they were surprised
to find they cared for each oth­er more than last year

And the 4th when both kids had chickenpox
and she threw her shoe at him for no real reason

And the 6th when he acci­den­tal­ly got drunk on the way
home from work because being a hus­band and father
was so damn hard

It’s about the 11th and 12th and 13th years when
they dis­cov­ered they could sur­vive crisis

And the 22nd anniver­sary when they looked
at each oth­er across the emp­ty nest, and found it good.

It’s about the 37th year when she finally
decid­ed she could nev­er change him

And the 38th when he decided
a lit­tle change was­n’t that bad

It’s about the 46th anniver­sary when they both
bought cards, and for­got to give them to each other

But most of all it’s about the end of the 49th year
when they dis­cov­ered you don’t have to be old

to have your 50th anniversary!!!!