ten years ago today
i was a child bride in waiting
my lack of experience
clouded by a snow white veil
i abided the penultimate nighttime,
running my fingers over the luminous sateen,
arranging and rearranging post-its
bearing the names of friends I was bound to lose
i hummed the bridal chorus
with a wink at wagner
and a coyly practiced two-step
right-back-left-forward-and-twirl
now only the photos are witnesses
