20 - The Colours of Love and Marrying Margaret: 17 September 2024

In case you skimmed over my wedding poem because it was included as part of our Handfasting Ceremony pamphlet, here is a stand alone copy of my poem called The Colours of Love.  Here also is a copy of my poem Marrying Margaret.

 

The Colours of Love: John Hankin

Margie's dominant colour isn't red,

Although her name says she is The Red One.

 

Muted red hues do surround her.

The deep ruby in her nails is always there.

So too is the glow of her hair,

Even if it does need assistance now and then.

 

The slow red burn of her heart can't be denied either.

Its gentle shine brings the warmth of a woman incapable of anything but love.

Her red colours reflect the reality of who she is.

But despite the touches of red

Margie's dominant colour isn't red at all.

 

Have you ever noticed the soft hum of the blue that surrounds her?

Have you ever noticed the golden yellow envelope she walks

Have you ever noticed the gentle green of the Irish in her walk?

Well I have.

 

The blue of the sky came first from Margie.

The sun's golden aura was born in the arms of her Love. The grassy, green carpet wasn't there until it spilled out from her heart.

My wife is a swirl of colour,

She is always gentle, always warm.

The colours of Love surround her,

Moving with the rhythm of her life,

Moving with the rhythm of our love.

 

How does she do this?

She says she does nothing,

But the colours of her love cannot be denied.

 

I don't care how she does it.

Why would l?

For I am blessed by the colours of her love.

 

******

Two months after our wedding, I wrote this poem in honour of my vows.  It is not as good as The Colours of Love, but I meant every word in it.

 Marrying Margaret

Did she really say I do?

She did.

Did I really say I do?

I did.

We’ve both been down this road before you know,

So why was it so different this time?

 

We’ve both had friends and family applauding the happy event before.

Not like this though.

 

This time they meant it.

 

We’ve both had the drunken celebrations before,

And the silly grins and the not really sincere congratulations.

 

But this time they meant it.

 

We’ve both had the presents

The ever so genuine best wishes

And the knowing looks.

We’ve had all of this before.

 

Although this time they meant it.

 

But none of this made Marrying Margaret so special.

No.

It wasn’t the laughter.

It wasn’t the singing

It wasn’t the genuine joy of family and friends.

 

One thing and one thing only made Marrying Margaret so special.

 

I saw her eyes speaking the only words that mattered.

Margaret’s eyes sparkled as she said she loved me.

Nothing else mattered.

Her eyes told me what I needed to hear.

 

That made it the best wedding ever.

 

20 September 2009

It was devastating for both of us when the friends who attended and applauded our wedding cancelled both of us.  Why did the cancellation happen?  I believe they were terrified of being anywhere near Margaret because she had been given a death sentence.