I got married tonight

I got married tonight.
well, it was around 4am (my time,
7am his time) —
we did it over the phone,
he said: ‘do you wanna marry
me?’ and I said:
‘do you really want to marry me?’
and he said: ‘yeah I’m keen.’
Then he said: ‘when do you want
to do it?’ and I said:
‘what do you think?’
he said: ‘maybe 5 years? or
is it too long?’

I said: ‘2018. that sounds like
a long way away’
and he said ‘ok, five days
then, or five minutes.’
I said: ‘it won’t have much pull with the
law.’ he said: ‘who cares?’
and then he said:
‘I do.’

I felt overwhelmed. Where were
the vows?
where was anything? What were we
saying ‘I do’ to? what were we
doing?

so I was silent

so we tried again a second
time. I said: ‘you go first.’
he said: ‘I can’t. having been
left at the altar once…’
I laughed. and then I said
‘ok I do.’ (and I did.)
and he said: ‘I do too.’

it was that easy     like most
things… when you break it down


Tina Williman (Western Australia)
First published on tinawilliman.com