It's never an easy thing
To find a wedding gift.
Of course, there must
Be a wedding poem--
Short, sensitive, sincere--
An epitome of happy memories,
An exclamation of joy.
But the wedding gift
Is still another matter.
Such a gift must
Symbolize deep love,
Lasting caring––
Be tasteful, appropriate,
Extravagant, and just a touch
Impractical.
I began my search
With recollections of you
And your family and the generosity
Of warmth which you all so freely
Share.
I sat mesmerized
At the vision of your
Winsome, girlish smile,
Womanly strength,
And children yet to come.
Thus prepared,
I set out on the streets of Philadelphia––
Crammed with shops and traffic,
Exploding with noise and things.
The quest was a quiet ritual
Of solitude––
Looking, waiting, remembering.
Like a lovely shell
On a sandy beach,
I discovered a spray of oriental flowers
Painted with certainty and care
A human touch.
Before me
Stood a vase
Of unusual shape,
Glad spirit,
And a delightful bunch of imagined primroses.
My gift
Is a celebration of your love
For now and ever.
I can only wish
That it will have
A special place
In the happiness of your home
And always be filled with loving
Flowers.