Voices ring from beyond the shrubbery

A hustle and bustle of family and friends

Pastel dresses and embroidered ties

Champagne sparkling under strings of lights

From the other side of the garden I wait

Holding my breath to slim my figure

Unblinking feathered false eyelashes

Biting lips kissed gently in pink

Sweaty palms grip a rainbow of hydrangeas

Stiletto heals pierce the damp ground

And a flowing gown, billowing in the wind

Lacey white against a shaking frame

The organ drones a well known tune

Cuing my feet to move down the garden path

Towards the bustle of bodies in metal chairs

Faces turned to gawk at the brand new bride

From over the fountain I begin to see them

The bald and sunburnt head of the priest

My mother’s hair tinted red from a bad dye

And him, dark locks combed neatly across his forehead

Another step, and the shoreline is in view

I avert my eyes, focused only on the floor

I cannot force my tense jaw into a smile

Even though I can feel his bearing down on me

I let the stilettos slip off of my feet

The happiest day of your life, I think

As I chuck my hydrangeas into the bushes

And run as fast as I can in the other direction