To Heather and Sean

Peonies arranged like jewels,
witness to our joy,
bobbed upon a table
while we ate and drank and danced;
even little boys jumped about
and smiled.
But most of all, it was a family
of blood and not blood too
gathered in loving celebration
for the joining of you two.

In this world
that can snarl and sting and bite,
hold that family to your hearts,
arrange them for their beauty
on the table of your life.
Flowers fade and die away
sooner than do we,
so gather in your loved ones
unto the distant cousins,
mothers and fathers and grandparents, too
to live and love in the garden with you.

-- Barbara Wolf
-- June 26, 2010