Among the guests at the wedding supper
light spread outward from food on the table
into their hair, their finery;
all the while their laughter finding substance:
light and laughter soon grew solid; into stones.
To her, the bride, and me, the groom,
the stones of changing
hues and feel were given.

—
In time we built a house of such stones.
Each time it collapsed we built another.

—
So she and I have lived
in many houses,
each house built from the others
upon the same foundation.

—
There is no fear of destitution:
Even when we wake up
with the house collapsed around us,
if we weep, if we look
upon our ruin in mute despair,
there is the glow the stones give forth.

—
When we sit within roof and walls,
the funny chill creeps in.
When the chill takes over and everything freezes,
we soon sit warm within roof and walls again.

—
And often I step out of the house and go into the woods
and look up
to God and stars and wonder why I’m lucky.

—
And she has told me often
in her way she does the same.