Wednesday, April 21, 2010

last afternooon

We sat at the oyster bar at Felix’s
in the middle of a N’awlins afternoon,
eating fried food and listening to
the Chi-Lites, the O’Jays, even
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
sing Seventies soul as the smiling
shucker offered up oysters and
opinions, both free of cynicism.

From there, we wandered through
the shutters and smells of the Quarter
to Café du Monde, restaurant of the world,
for beignets and café au lait while
a street-wise incarnation of Sam
Cooke sang for smiles and tips.

This is the last afternoon of our first
twenty years: who knows how many
thousand and six hundred minutes
have added up to our story of two
common hearts, but it is a tale best
told in the small scenes that say
life with you is better now
than when we first began.

Peace,
Milton

5 comments:

Maureen from Minnesota said...

A sweet tribute. My husband and I "met" in New Orleans -- both there for a glee club ("choral directors") conference and sang amazing Mozart and Heidiger during the day, then wandered Bourbon Street by night. We just sort of "fell in" together on a carriage ride with 20 of our closest high-school friends. We wandered off to have dinner in a smaller group, and the rest is history. Married in '76, celebrating the birth of our middle child, our poet and Earth girl, today, April 22. She is 26, and in love with her sweet young husband. All is well. Good work has been done here. Thanks for sharing this, Milt.

Joy said...

Wonderful story poem.

Happy Anniversary!

Blessings for many more years.

Sheila from NCC said...

Happy Anniversary! Continue to take good care of each other.

Real Live Preacher said...

Love you guys.

mholman said...

Congrats! Glad that after all these years, Ginger is still the one you want whispering in you ear!