Poem 427 – ‘Days’ Revisited…

Eleven thousand,
One hundred and thirty seven,
Spent married to you.

Who’s counting? I am.
Each matters, every one a
Choice made together.

From the heady start,
Somersaulting down the aisle,
When Ben married ‘Ken’.

The joy of shared walks,
Exploring each other’s hands,
And ways of thinking.

To expanding love,
The miracle of childbirth,
And growing as one.

Enduring Ofsted,
Learning how you like your tea,
Shared viva anger.

Funding the future,
Investing all my eggs in
One basket with you.

Every day matters,
From mundane daily chores to
Ecstatic highlights.

Eleven thousand,
One hundred and thirty seven,
Spent in loving you.

Ok, so yesterday’s hastily scrawled haiku didn’t convey the feeling behind it (the time was better spent doing that in person than absorbed on the mobile writing!) Hopefully this conveys some of that. And yes, our vicar did try and marry Ben and Ken, his embarrassment a cause for great delight for the rest of us!
(15.02.25)

© Ben Quant 2025

Poem 90 – The River

It was cold that night
Was there snow?
Or was it frost?
I don’t recall
We walked along the river
You wore many layers
To keep out the chill
I laughed as later
You unpeeled them
Defrosting in the pub
We went out
Starting as friends
But by the time
We’d reached the end
An unspoken change
Had occurred
We paused. I spoke it
Should we add
Another couple
To the list?
You said yes
We held hands
Electrifying
You couldn’t see but
I was smiling
It’s funny how walks
Can be so significant
A sideways step
Into a space
To reflect
To be and to grow
Soon after that
We went on another
Again you said yes
Or at least
I think you did
You certainly
Smothered me
Down on my knees
By the Thames
Again we emerged
Once more transformed
There have been many
More walks since then
As now we explore
Life’s bubbling stream
Of chaotic rapids
And lazy eddies
Together
And I still enjoy
Unpeeling the layers
That make up you

A poem for Valentine’s day.
(14.02.22)

© Ben Quant 2022