20160115 (playfulness)

It's OK. In 1967 Tennessee allowed children to marry.

br />

Today I celebrate an

Anniversary. What’s bad

About some anniversaries

Is that they roll around 

Every year about the same

Time. I’d rather put some 

Off for years if I could 

Celebrate others a lot

Sooner more often. Jean

Playful Jean and I did

That throughout all the

Years we were together

Although they counted

Only when we finally

Married. It may be urban

Myth but I maintain we

Met October 28, ’66, a 

Year to the day we wed. 

We reveled in reminding

Each other of the “monthly-

Versary” were fortunate 

It did not occur on the 31st,

30th or 29th as then several 

Months would pass before

We remembered the day of

Us that belonged to none

Else. Like a ship needing

Periodic correction of

Heading, the monthly

Reminder interposed before

Any error in direction grew

Too severe to adjust. Plus 

It restored the all too fragile

Gaiety the world's winds blew

Away noiselessly without

Notice. The trick of course

Was not to be pre-emptive—

No fair saying, “Tomorrow’s

You know what day,” no

Setting alarms for 12:01 AM.

No, poopsies, you had to

Do it as naturally as sneezing

And you couldn’t interrupt

The other to do a “gotcha”

Although smothering her 

With a quick kiss was 

Allowed even though she

Would try to speak, “Hap—“

You had to be quick if you

Would tongue it, laughing

And waltzing was de rigueur

Laudable, and frequent.

When the gods were in her

Favor, she’d risk putting

A “Happy Monthlyversary”

Note in my briefcase, or tape

One to my steering wheel.

When I spoke in her eulogy

Of our playful marital life

The kids, others may have 

Been embarrassed. Their loss

I figured but I hoped the kids

Do the same. They should 

Know when they married

To set a playful course, play

As devotedly and as seriously

As God desired.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016