Sweet Sixteen

Do you see the hope on our young faces

My love

As we embraced

A sweet sixteen years ago

Only days before we wed

Me in your arms

And you in mine

One of our perfect moments 

I remember it perfectly

The feel of your shirt’s fabric in my left hand

How your hair smelled

The way your breast felt against my chest

As you made my heart beat faster

We knew not all that would come

Between that day and this 

Not even the half of it

But we knew we would be living it together

I, who would be an instant father

Looked forward to calling your child my son

And of our four more children to come

Nothing was known of them then

Now to go even a day without their company seems a grave injustice

My dear wife

We have seen so many of love’s soldiers

Fall to the wayside

Injured or slain

During or journey

Yet, after 16 years

We abide

Stalwart and unified

Not only that

But expectant of what is to come

For better or worse

We are purposed

Still in love

And full of hope

As we celebrate our

Sweet Sixteen