Nate Marshall, American poet, editor, rapper, and assistant professor of English at Colorado College, born 1989.
EPITHALAMELEGY
Nate Marshall
For Cydney
our vow—
if vowless by thirty
then us
was such
a stupid, childish way
to say love.
but love we were;
children also.
on the corner
of May Street our mamas
& us waited for the bus
so we could march
in between
the tall-backed seats
like an aisle.
i’ll carry you
with me like a bride
over the threshold.
i’ll carry you
with me like a bouquet
or a corsage.
i can’t put you down
& even if i did
you would still appear
in our prom photo
on an unsuspecting shelf
in my childhood home.
O Cyd, i still find
myself whispering to you
like a secret between bus seats.
O Cyd, why aren’t we still
in first grade
& crushes.
O Cyd, it crushed me
& so many
of us.
O Cyd, when i heard
it laid me down
like a wedding broom.
O Cyd, i jumped
& held my breath
for you.