The First Years

The First Years

Our early married days
were perhaps the best days of our lives ...

Eating macaroni and cheese
(the kind from a box - generic, not Kraft)
five boxes for a dollar
adding lunch meat ham
for Sunday dinner.

as we stepped over homeless people in the city

Worrying myself sick
with each charge put on the Visa -
wondering how we were ever
going to pay it off
and pay the electric bill -
or should we pay the gas this month?

My father's sage advice -
         it's only money.

Clipping coupons from the Sunday paper,
purchased with quarters
hoarded like precious diamonds
and driving to five different stores
to redeem them -
proud of saving seventy five cents
for the liquid detergent
so that now we have enough quarters
to do our laundry.

as we stepped over homeless people in the city

Timing phone calls to California
with a watch
that seemed to move faster
than ordinary time -
with rushed "I love you's" to family
when the allotted fifteen minutes was up.

Stealthily plotting out
the Saturday garage sale route,
excited to discover
what treasures had been cast aside
by the rich and famous
of that ivy league town.

as we stepped over homeless people in the city

Arguing over money
and spending
and worrying about the future,
wondering how we'd keep
our heads above water -
ending with kisses
and assurances
that we were in this together.

Sharing pot-luck suppers with friends
with lots of tuna and egg noodles -
the evenings capped off
with laughter, guitars,
and worn-out board games
because we couldn't afford a movie.

Our early married days
were perhaps the best days of our lives ...
For through them all
I never really went hungry
I always had a roof over my head
clean clothes to wear
someone to love
someone who loved me.

Hard times?
I was truly blessed ...
more so than most
of the rest of the world.