I

There's a bitter taste in my mouth
As the bride, in all her radiance,
Marches down the aisle, victory
Trailing behind her.

My throat burns and vision blurs
And when asked to object, I'm too late.
So I leave with the “I do”'s
Trailing behind me.

Who ever heard of an open bar
before a wedding?
Who ever heard of a cake
with a stolen groom?
I have. I have.

I have heard years of laughter
And heard the hesitant cheers
And heard the hallowed wedding bells
Trailing behind, driving away.

II

In the car I run
My fingers over smooth plastic
Features and remark,
Through drunken tongue:
How real this feels!

Hammurabi was right –
An eye for an eye
Makes the whole world right.

Stolen groom for stolen groom;
The cake still clings to his feet
And in the distance, church bells.
Married before God, and here is tribute –
Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's!
And remember, thou art mortal.
Yet I feel like Jupiter
With my idol in my hand.




III

This plastic idol, I'll melt it down
And take it in, in, in,
Drink it down like poison,
Poison I've already felt before!
Prepare to take notes on its effects:
It will burn like one sided solemn vows
And it will cling to my throat like promises,
Promises only I kept and he forgot
Faster than he could melt down.

When I said “I'll love you forever”
I intended to keep it true.
I'll love him longer than the plastic,
Clinging to my throat, will exist.
As the molten idol goes down, words come up:
“I love you” (Always).