Wedding of Words

Jim Larwill

Canadian Shield Chapbooks III
Text Box: Text Box: A Wedding of Words “We are of something larger than ourselves.” These are the words I ended my own wedding speech with many years ago, and the fact that we are all gathered here today affirms the truth of my closing remarks spoken with such hope all those years ago. I was a lonely young man with a new found confidence standing before an audience learning to pontificate with exuberance. And while I may have been a fool standing there hanging somewhere between childhood fears and the senility of old age, somehow I knew my words were a truth waiting be discovered. And I was right, because now I look over at Mac and Lindsay and I am overwhelmed with happiness, I look at little Carmyn and I explode with pride absolutus. “We are of something larger than ourselves.” Text Box: “If you can’t stand on you own, you can’t stand next to someone.” “If you can’t stand on your own, you can’t stand next to someone.” Remember this one, old excitable son and beautiful new daughter. It is self explanatory. It is as simple as realising that if you can’t be happily single, you can’t really expect to be happily married, can you? And while that may seem to be in contradiction to “We are of something larger than ourselves” it has to be said that if you can’t be your true self in a relationship, you can’t then really engage with your spouse on a spiritual plane. “Engagement is the key to marriage.” “Engagement is the key to marriage.” Text Box: Mac and Lindsay - “We are of something larger than ourselves.” So I thought I would pick it up where I left off twenty-nine years ago and I would share a few more of my hackneyed phrases, ones I’ve picked up since then. Because you see; I have become an expert on the THEORY of marriage. I need to emphasise the word “Theory.” I am not a practitioner of the institution of Marriage in a direct way myself at the moment. However; as a poet I have learned NOT to argue with the logic of women who say they are happily married as they repeatedly jump me. And while this has not given me much opportunity to experience marriage for myself, it is an endless insight into the various theories of marriage; the ones which happily married woman always try to convince me of. “Keeping your mouth shut;” “Doing as you are told;” I am slowly learning is not the slab foundation a husband, or a wife, should build their home Text Box: upon, indeed a foundation reaching below the surface of written words is the key. Marriage. (Hold up a paper with the word Marriage printed on it.) Marriage. (Rip the paper in half.) Mac and Lindsay I find no marriage of spirit here. A marriage of spirit does not exist with words written in legal contracts, a marriage of spirit lives in the day to day words you will speak to each other for the rest of your lives. It is true we live in a material world, property agreements shall be made, but we are of something larger than ourselves, and it is the words that you will speak to each other in private moments, which will write the lasting story of your love. Text Box: An Address: delivered Amherst Island Ontario September, 6, 2008 Honouring Mackenzie and Lindsay Larwill by Jim Larwill