Poem: Bonded
By: Kimberly Potter Kendrick
“…for better or worse,
richer or poorer,
in sickness and health,
’til death do we part…
the two shall become one…
husband and wife…”
a kiss to seal the deal
is it husband and wife
or wife and husband
what is it they become
vows, promises, commitment
meaning omnipotent
an empty house, no home
one drives west
the other heads south
husband and wife
wife and husband
without acknowledging
without conceiving
without believing
no massive distance
no new relationships
it remains unshakeable
only visible cracks
separated bodies
souls together
he attempts breaking it
she talks, she walks, she ponders
it will not shatter
it cannot be extracted from their minds
no realistic explanation
both realize
both deny
the phone rings each day
conversing as if they woke up side by side and rolled over to say good morning
later saying, “Hello! How was your day?” as if they were sitting at the dinner table
why won’t it dissolve
the imaginary rings still exist
she thought it was over
he said it was over
it’s not completely over
she lies in bed alone
he lies in bed alone
their paths cross on occasion,
not unexpectedly,
a weekend or a night or a few hours
they steal away
pretend
there is one bed
one home
not hundreds of miles between
they hug
they talk
they laugh
they make love
they wonder
it doesn’t last
reality roars
he leaves for work
she flies home
will there be a next time
will it dissolve
is there an unforeseen plan
there is certainty, a constant
it’s simply unknown
for the moment
husband and wife
wife and husband
untraditional
bonded