Richard Matta

Wedding Vows

Gusts pull neckties like nooses, lift skirts, yank maple leaves from trees. We look out at our assembled families and friends. The stories we know too well. The big plans before mortgages, fancy cars, Disney cruises, tutors, Ivy league prep schools, a forgotten vow or two. How take-out became the dinner of the week. How they replay their histories in the dreams they have for us.

We look at our small live-aboard boat. The little engine putters, waiting for us, the halyard clinks with the sounds of freedom at the end of the narrow dock.

new start
the fortune cookie
for the birds

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About the Author

Richard L. Matta grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley, attended university, practiced forensic science, and now lives in San Diego. Some of his haiku, tanka, and haibun are in Modern Haiku, Frogpond, Akitsu Quarterly, Bottle Rockets, and Presence. His long-form poetry is found in various journals, including Gyroscope, Dewdrop, Ancients Path, and Healing Muse.