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Response to Poem for a Civil Wedding Ceremony

from ilza (ilza@pobox.com)
Most like an arch, this marriage by John Ciardi

Most like an arch--an entrance which upholds

and shores the stone-crush up the air like lace.

Mass made idea, and idea held in place.

A lock in time. Inside half-heaven unfolds.

Most like an arch--two weaknesses that lean

into a strength. Two fallings become a firm.

Two joined abeyances become a term

naming the fact that teaches fact to mean.

Not quite that? Not much less. World as it is,

what's strong and separate falters. All I do

at piling stone on stone apart from you

is roofless around nothing. Till we kiss

I am no more than upright and unset.

It is by falling in and in we make

the all-bearing point, for one another's sake,

in faultess failing, raised by our own weight.

(posted 8822 days ago)

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