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| Near Southport's Provision Company |
By Morris Dean
What did you and your wife do on Monday?
We drove over to Southport, on the coast,
To spend a night away to celebrate
This year's marking of all our married time
Together. Not to approach platitude,
But the day was our anniversary.
How many years, your anniversary?
Seven of them have been on a Monday—
In all 47...It's platitude,
But as the years tick off, they start to coast,
And as they gather speed there comes a time
You must be reminded to celebrate.
Surely not reminded to celebrate!
Oh, you'd be surprised. Anniversary
Comes upon you out of forgotten time—
It doesn't matter whether it's Monday—
Your wife might suggest you go to the coast;
That one forgets isn't a platitude.
Do you think my questions are platitudes?
No, you just want to help us celebrate.
You may have heard we were off to the coast
And guessed it was our anniversary,
Even suspected it was on Monday,
Just didn't know their number over time.
What day of week were you wed, back in time?
On a Friday, no weekend platitude
For us—could as well have been a Monday.
But of course we do choose to celebrate
The very day of anniversary:
Two days ago to Southport, on the coast.
And how was it over there, on the coast?
Cooler, of course, quite usual for the time,
Rather perfect for anniversary,
If that's not, to say, a platitude.
But the important thing to celebrate
Is inside the heart, even on a Monday.
You've coasted again into platitude!
Whatever time is left to celebrate
Anniversary, use it, even Monday!
[Follow-up on when any date repeats on the same day of the week]
_______________
Copyright © 2013 by Morris Dean
Married on Friday, April 15, 1966, this couple's anniversary was on a Monday in the years 1968, 1974, 1985, 1991, 1996, 2002, and this year. If they both live to enjoy their fiftieth, they can celebrate it on a commemorative Friday in 2016.
| Please comment |
First, congratulations on your anniversary. You seemed to have put a lot of thought into it. It wouldn't be you are trying to erase the memory of a few forgotten ones would it. Hope you had a good time. Our anniversary is in Sept. last year I brought Janie to Costa Rica---going to be hard to top.
ReplyDelete"You seem to have put a lot of thought into it." Actually, Konotahe, you'd be surprised how EASY it was to write the poem. It might be of interest for me to describe my evolving approach to writing a sestina: Of course, I first have in mind a topic or an idea, and at least two or three of the six end-words. Then I write the first stanza, in the process identifying the set of six end-words. For the next five stanzas and terminal envoy (the concluding 3-line stanza in which each line employs two of the six end-words), I import the schema that prescribes the order of end-words in these stanzas. Then I simply "write to order." Of course, how simple it is is determined by one's skill level. I've become quite skilled in the process of writing almost ten sestinas, starting with "Persimmons in sestina" last summer. I wrote today's sestina in less than two hours, with hardly any revision. I hope that isn't too evident!
DeleteHappy Belated Anniversary ! SouthPort is beautiful ! I'd love to go there ! Have a great Wed. !
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Dawn! I hope you are having an arcangelic day there in Arkansas!
DeleteIsn't it time for you to send me another limerick? My commentary on tomorrow's "Thor's Day" quotation consists of a limerick (on "ages of faith"--how fearful faith persists even in our enlightened times).
Very interesting Morris, however, I was referring to the topic, your skill is unquestionable. (smile)
ReplyDeleteWell, of course, Konotahe, I've had many years to think about what might go into a poem on this subject, and I can assure you that writing this one was in no way an attempt to make up for anything. I honestly can't name five men who have been better to their wives than I have, even if I'm very far from perfect.
DeleteHa, ha, it just occurred to me that there might nevertheless be more than five men--maybe scores or hundreds--who know me and my marriage and are thinking that THEY are among those fewer-than-five I could name!
DeleteI call upon them to comment, so that we might settle this point.
Konotahe, before you beat me to it, I want to point out that when I wrote that I couldn't name five men "who have been better to their wives than I have," I didn't mean that I have been better to THEIR wives than they have been...even if I have been.
DeleteWell you know you have done something right, if you can say something like that and get your wife to swear to it.
ReplyDeleteBut does any man truly know his wife' mind, or does she just let him think he does? That opens a whole can of worms doesn't it. Later
Konotahe, if the sestina has persuaded you that my wife has sworn to anything, then perhaps my poetic powers are even greater than was thought—either that or you are a most congenial and generous reader!
DeleteMorris, congratulations on the anniversary, and the commemorative sestina, and on keeping Konotahe writing while I was on the road.
ReplyDelete47 years, just think of it! I have this theory that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, the real difference between men and women is men were dogs in their previous lives, and women were cats. 47 years is astoundingly outstanding.
Thank you, dear Motomynd! I'll be on the lookout for evidence that tends to prove or disprove your canine/feline theory.
DeleteWe may have to do the same for Konotahe this coming weekend as he and I did for you while you were on the road, for he seems to be going to go .out fishing.
How wonderful. My husband and I love Southport too! Trust your anniversary celebration will be long remembered by both of you!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary!
For the historical record: Carolyn and I drove to Southport on Tuesday, arriving at our very adequate lodgings about a quarter of an hour before 3 p.m. check-in. (That is, I took poetic liberties when I wrote the poem, on Sunday, I think.)
ReplyDeleteOur suite on the marina had two entrances, one on the front (marina side) accessible by one flight of stairs from our dedicated parking space, the other onto a deck with both stairs and elevator access to parking in the rear. The suite had a living room/kitchen with 36-inch flat-screen TV, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker; a smallish bedroom with a bed on whose stick-out foot post I immediately banged my left shin, to howl of pain (I think I cussed) and moderately bloody laceration requiring bandaging; large bathroom with shower; and long, wide hall along the left (from the front) featuring two very nice paintings of a young girl reading near the water.
A member of the staff oblingingly wrapped white padding around the foot posts, and no further shin-banging occurred. She acknowledged that I wasn't the first to bang a shin.