As I went into this ‘project’, starting back in April to prepare the poem that would be my ‘father’s speech’ for our daughter’s July 16^th wedding, I put it aside many times, frustrated, then having what I perceived as some satisfying successes, then some setbacks again, until time ran out and the proverbial bell rang and I had to read it in public.  Throughout I had to consider the circumstances and the mixed audience at the wedding.  Captive, more or less, but would they be inebriated, distracted, unwilling to think too hard, yawners in the face of poetry, etc.  I felt that a poem honoring an event needs to be quite accessible…easy to follow/grasp…aiming to touch emotions…and needs to ‘chug along’ like a poetic train of sorts…not too avant garde or shocking. But I wanted it to stand out as being ‘unique’ too.   I supposedly had a 2 minute limit, which seemed unnecessarily harsh to me given how short the wedding was, and felt as this being our only child I deserved an extra moment or two to stretch out a little for this momentous occasion.

WEDDED BLISS

Thinking back to the first thoughts
Emitting a big Oh no
our only daughter        our only child at all
our only treasure         not counting each other
from whence the moon of Quilla was born
and took over all of our skies from day one from then on
Quilla — named for that glowing orb
in Quechua the language of the Inca
That moon that has climbed over every horizon so far
sailing through every one of her nights
looking down and over her all this time
waving            pushing           and pulling.

Oh no now that she’s taking this leap
of faith and adoration
in her gown flowing with echoes of her beloved mami
Of Isabel and of Ariel both from the sea    both sirenitas
both gown and her mestiza countenance glowing here
Can there be sorrow in any of this?
Is she fleeing somewhere far away
to some distant zone where time and atmosphere are not the same 
somewhere else setting down new roots
making it harder to connect
in this world of distances and obstacles
will we become lonely whenever we peer at the moon
and remember and wonder where she is now   and how?

Oh  never mind
and not to worry it’s only Seattle  
where she and her one true love will plant their flag
So barely up the road and to the far left
from our own humble abode
it’s all in the County of Kings            so let’s all just relax
and breathe in   and out and so on
anyway anymore
it’s all just a click and snapped fingers and we’ll be right there
as connected as ever
God bless wifi and 5G magic and even the light rail
carrying us lickety split due north.

Oh sí as in yes oh yes do see
this celebration of wedded bliss right out of the gate
Peru  Pennsylvania San Francisco  Minnesota and North Dakota
and other points and threads somehow getting enmeshed
woven into a tapestry             full of color
intriguing shades of Park        cool hues of Walsh
resilient and that will stand the test of time.

We gather this bilingual tribe from many corners of our only world
our favorite world                   all wide and deep and high
and today we shall forget the lows
and let hearts soar
with smiles galore
to watch these persistent birds of love 
to wish them this —
may they receive the very best we can all conjure up
boundless crystal clear joy
quiet satisfaction in whatever they do
perpetual glorious dancing through whatever life brings
happy for them as we all are
as they rev their engines for that future journey
happy to be witnesses of this forming of this perfect union
here right now
honoring each of them

honoring both of them
now joined at the hip
in their hearts and minds
electric    jazzed     fortified   100% pure
real allies for the long haul forever and ever. 

Thankful for this fertile soil where these flowers of matrimony
will grow tall and strong
God willing
side by side intertwined
our gratitude for these memories being sown here.

Read at wedding – 7.16.23
David Park