The Marriage

The night before we had discussed it extensively over the phone

that was where me and melanie kept our relationship safe

revelations took place during commercial breaks

and we'd say we were running away and settling

in the theatre where they shot david letterman

our only hope for some understanding

he'd take care of us,parents

but the marriage itself

it was hurried and casual

i don't know where she came up the ritual

after the bell and before second period

out in the hall she gave me a petal

we swalloed to pieces of flowers together

and then we were married

until she said one of us lied to the other

that meant that the petals inside us were dead

i got married

i got scared to death

i got sick

from all the petals i haven't eaten

say yes to me, take this,in destiny

say i do, make me believe it

ten months of marriage and no consummation

right there for the taking

this scared 7th grader could not kiss her

just the thought of first base

and surprise, i'm MIA from the stadium

and greenside, an open drainage pipe, beckoning inside

waiting, i pussied out nervous

alone, above ground, to the place where the sewers resurfaced i walked

afraid of the dark, afraid i'd stay pushing away what i wanted

but clearly more fearful of acting, of getting it

behind the library we sat together

and she liked the veins in my wrist, she touched them

her first boyfriend bill, before his expulsion

brought her here for what she called mouthrape

so i never tried it, beside her afraid

i saw her a year ago, might have been more

she was working at janda, a cockiesville florist

said nothing of course, tongue sore from the biting

well aware of the corpse of those petals inside me

i got married

i got scared to death

i got sick

from all the petals i haven't eaten

say yes to me, take this in destiny

say i do, make me believe it