The ceremony really begins
when tears
of remorse
fall into the desert dust
like a long-awaited thunderstorm
releasing all the heavy, old stories
and ends with tears
of joy
swelling like the waxing moon
which is how Life
committing to itself
looks on the face
Why some take a wedding walk
and others a funeral march
is not for humans to know
Anointed with essential oils
and wearing a desert gown
some hold hands with themselves
carrying a bouquet of sagebrush and mormon tea
Anointed with blood and sweat
and wearing a torn mountain cloak
another holds hands with death
and a bouquet of heart-shaped rocks
The Great Inyo sun shines on both
with equal regard
the great witness
to the vows
which are the same for all:
Thou shall not abandon thyself
Do you take this Beloved,
lovely creature of the earth
to have and to hold,
from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
until death do us part?
and with an exchange
known only in the bones
of the land
and the wellspring of the heart
the Yes
is born
once again
Bees buzz and dragonflies dance
