Wedding Night Waxes
He carried her over the threshold
of their bridal suite:
Room 5 at the local Super 7
(couldn’t afford the Super 8)
She said she had prepared
a “goodie bag” for their wedding night
“What kind of goodies?” he asked, and
she just winked and smiled.
The Marriage Bed, they called it,
laughing (the baby was due in May)
They sat on the edge, making small talk
by the light of TCM classics on TV
She grabbed the mystery bag
Vanished into the bathroom and
squeezed into the silken nightie
she found on Clearance at Victoria’s Secret
(a bit swollen, but still sexy)
At that moment
the TV flickered off and
lights outened themselves with a snick
“Babe,” he called, “power’s out…
You OK in there?”
Her answer, opening the bathroom door
She held a basket with wine, crackers and cheese
In her long red lingerie, she stood
bathed in candleglow
“When I said I put all we needed
in the goodie bag, I wasn’t kidding”
His answer, a low, appreciative whistle
A single candle, stuck in a precious bottle:
The very first Chardonnay they ever shared
It was in the cab of his truck
They’d traced constellations and snuggled
and the baby was probably conceived
under Venus’ approving gaze
Now wax stribbled down the green bottleneck,
obscured the label, pooled on the night stand
as wick flickered…
a newborn light
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Poets United’s Wonder Wednesday asked for poems about wax, candlelight, and such. Candles are the cheapest accessory for romance, so I thought about a young couple who didn’t have much but each other and took off from there. Peace, Amy
Oct 13, 2012 @ 02:58:50
nicely done
Oct 13, 2012 @ 05:38:30
how very sweet. reminds me of my first marriage.
Oct 13, 2012 @ 06:58:43
smiles….nicely done…some cool nostalgia in the bottle….and i love the way way accumulates dow the sides like art….
Oct 13, 2012 @ 07:16:29
Aww, this is such a touching and poignant poem, Amy.
Oct 13, 2012 @ 09:01:36
Beautiful, Amy and romantic! Thanks for your visit and comments on the didge.
Oct 13, 2012 @ 09:18:47
Makes me think about how we have preconceived notions of what ‘ideal’ is. Such as, the ‘ideal’ honeymoon would be one where yo are whisked away in a limousine off to the airport for some exotic location-with not a worry in sight. Or, is it? Perhaps a better ‘ideal’ is much like what you’ve unfolded here in your writing.
Oct 13, 2012 @ 10:06:04
Bittersweet, this, and poignant and precious, too. As an elder
I know how challenging their start is. As a romantic and woman in love with the man I first dated at age 17, I know how perfect that love can be, can remain. As a writer, you brought all of this to me at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Thank you!
Oct 13, 2012 @ 10:06:35
Oh this is so touching, Amy. What an uplifting story to contemplate in the midst of our everyday lives – that young lovers still find each other. Love the image of her in candle glow, and the wax dripping down the bottle……..so lovely.
Oct 13, 2012 @ 13:41:49
I love how this is romantic but not cloying – because I believe there can still be romance even in the humdrum. Thank you for sharing this. Made me smile and gives hope!
Oct 13, 2012 @ 19:38:51
Charming and easy-going romantic.
Oct 14, 2012 @ 03:01:35
Honeymoons are over-rated. Lovely story poem.
Oct 14, 2012 @ 20:18:11
Sounds a lot better than ours, the hotel thought we coming the next day so we had to find another hotel at midnight in Paris, then later in the week were nearly arrested during a student protest. Your piece sounds great!
Oct 14, 2012 @ 20:42:56
Amy this was beautiful! The ending was illuminating
Loved it~
Oct 15, 2012 @ 00:17:15
Under such trying conditions she at least made it romantic! Nicely Amy!
Hank
Oct 15, 2012 @ 11:40:05
Amy, love your take on this prompt. Love waxes and wanes, right? You are a true artist with words, you paint so well–love this scene
Oct 16, 2012 @ 19:12:03
This was very touching and beautiful Amy. I was expecting a different kind of waxing from the title… that goes to show you where my mind was. Now I feel happy again. I love how you are able to draw me in with these people, just like I’m there. Lovely, lovely…
Oct 19, 2012 @ 02:05:18
Amy ~ this is wondrous ~ love ‘wax stribbled down’, what a fabulous word and so descriptive of candle wax drips ~ gorgeous