to the father of the bride
He’s been there along the way
birth, teething, walking and running
Little arms around his neck
riding high on his shoulders
Along the way she grew
and suddenly became a woman
so quickly, it happened
Comes a day
grand as grand can be
folks in their finest gather round
to witness vows being taken
Relatives, friends, friends of friends
associates of various ilk
watch the procession
of bride and groom
and particular people.
Mother has been seated
sealing the aisle for good
Slowly, one step at a time
the decked out attendants come
take their places
and now the bride, with her dad, dad, daddy!
Daddy!
I’m frightened!
Hold me tight!
Never let me go!
The little girl is there
in a thousand memories held
Slowly down the aisle they come
daughter holding dad’s arm light
And then the question comes:
Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”
He knows the words to be spoken.
What am I doing? Giving my precious daughter away?
Will he love her and protect her
even better than I?
“Her mother and I”, spoken at last,
and he lifts her vail
gives her a kiss
then sits with his bride.
just yesterday
they were married the same
Her dad gave her
with the very words
then they were husband and wife, one
In the beginning
God created
then set his couple free
Given minds, bodies, spirits,
an earth sculpted to His design
heaven was part of earth
The freedom twisted, became
less than heaven
there we remain, to live
one foot here, and one foot there
free, but captives in a way
The rains came
with thunder, with lightning
and so they do today
All nature points us heavenward
to help us know ourselves
and taste a bit of God, the Father
Maybe we should change our lines
and have the mother of the groom
give him away as well!
“His Father and I”,
the groom’s mom might say?
Oh my!
They might all cry ‘We do!’
Four voices as one!
The congregation too?
That’s a thought!
Settle down, dad.
Step back further.
Say your lines,
let go.
The preacher nails it very well:
“Whom God has joined together,
let no man put asunder!”
Selah
Lin, to my friend John 10/10