Welcome to poems I've written in reflection on marriage.  The sonnets were written before I was married and the "ode," "A Servant of Life," was written about 8 years into my marriage.  I am married to this day and am grateful to be so.  If I had to write a sonnet on marriage now, my theme would be of reliance upon the example and words of Jesus in the Gospels -- along with a contemplation of how He first revealed His divinity to his disciples at the marriage ceremony at Cana as described in the Gospel of John.  I believe Antoine de St. Expurey once said, "Love is not looking into each other's eyes -- it is looking in the same direction."  That I believe -- with the direction being Christ in word and deed.

"Our Marriage Bed" was written when I was in my twenties after I found myself wondering over an extended period what a marriage between two "saints" in God's eyes might ever be like.  I think at the time I believed that I was never going to be married in this world and that my poem was just a beautiful dream.  Later I began to believe that if "Heaven," or wherever it is the "saints" dwell, is not reflected here on earth in some way, darkly at least, then "Heaven" must not exist.  I am happy to say "Our Marriage Bed" does reflect feelings and experiences with which I have been blessed in my marriage, notwithstanding a youth marred by common pitfalls.  Often when listening to my wife sing lullabies to our children the line "And lullabies shall waft through the evening breeze" was brought to mind.

The first draft of "I Read a Poem" was written shortly after my then-fiancee spent a weekend with me while I was living and working in New York City. Our time together then seemed magical -- so that when I left the apartment and Jenny therein to get some food I found myself wondering why is everyone around us moving so quickly?  I have revised this sonnet many times.  I recited an earlier version  at the rehearsal dinner before our wedding.

"Ring Dream" was written shortly before my actual marriage ceremony and reflects my confronting some of the anxieties that, I imagine, are the kind that find their way into the consciousness of any prospective groom.

"A Servant of Life" was written while I was teaching Beowulf at a day school in Tennessee and thought about trying my hand at alliterative verse.  I found myself writing a partially reflective account of the kinds of trials and tribulations my wife and I went through before we were married -- from the woman's point of view.