Is this what you had in mind?
Packing your things
Leaving your home
Goodbyes to friends
Flying across seas
Panic-stricken with great
trepidation
To live here with fantastical
determination.
For me?
Seeing you at arrivals
Chatting with my family
Sitting in our car
Remembering the seatbelt
at my urging.
Driving down our first roads
together.
Exclaiming at the trees,
the empty scenes
an hour and a half
and we were back.
To another home. my home
now complete
taking you down the stairs
tucking you in the sheets.
Talking about this and that
things not yet sinking in
a wedding to prepare for
to get dressed for
discombobulating commotion
swarms of guests
my family and family friends
inspecting you through their lens
reaching a verdict
“He’s lucky to have you.”
here comes the bhaarat
third world drums blaring
from outside
the elite museum
bringing a procession in,
colorful and vibrant
led by a dutiful dancer
to a sun-drenched altar
presided over by the ancient wisdom of
Hebrews and Hindus
where you descended
to an oh so bittersweet melody
step by step, girded by your
last connections to life in India.
A tear painted the museum floor
and you stepped over it
as you marched to me
to ceremonially recognize
what we already knew to be true
while I zoned in and out
and felt a breeze
through my dhoti
vows were spoken
and I leaned in
for a momentous kiss
you hesitated to reciprocate
before our lips met
and we took 7 steps
hand in hand.
Next came learning each other all over
and touching each other all over
walks in the woods
treachery and forgiveness
anger and depression
alcoholic balm
insomnia
uncertain normalcy
dinner dates with my friends
who became your friends
road trips to Savannah and Asheville
River street fireworks and
Lithuanian hikes
Jazz clubs.
Oh and my flights of fancy in between
Listening to me wide-eyed
proselytizing
While you held everything steady.
And we settled down to another home
small and quaint
You did it all
decorating, assembling furniture
trying out the cookware
washing the dishes
scrubbing the bathroom
playing host for guests
torn between people who rely on you
your friends, your family, my family, me
losing your mind and
putting it back together
campaigning for justice
applying for jobs
tentatively, like a fish out of sea
flopping around this alien landscape
holding onto me.
