I See You

5 years, 5 children, 5 places we called home

It’s everyone’s dream, isn’t it?

“Love at first sight.”

Even those of us romantics

who know that “ love at hindsight”

is more realistic,

and perhaps even more romantic-

even we long to have

love at first sight

every morning, waking up next to our beloved.

Wasn’t that part of what marriage promised?

To have and to hold

and to wake up next to

every day.

But that isn’t what we have had.

For richer?

So far it’s been poorer.

In sickness more than health.

It’s been a long five years

since we said those vows.

Vows meant to be the roots

of a strong, new, family tree-

a tree that began to grow

so soon after our wedding day,

and then stopped short

even more quickly.