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I hope all my American friends had a safe, happy and relaxing Thanksgiving! Today, in honour of the holiday, enjoy this sweet excerpt from The Longly-Weds Know by Leah Furnas, which can be found in the aptly-named collection Good Poems for Hard Times, edited by Garrison Keillor. The poem is truly wonderful, so do be sure to find a copy of the anthology in your local library and enjoy it in its entirety. More than anything, it reminds me of the person I’m most thankful for.
The Longly-Weds Know by Leah Furnas
That it isn’t about the Golden Anniversary at all,
But about all the unremarkable years
that Hallmark doesn’t even make a card for.It’s about the 2nd anniversary when they were surprised
to find that they cared for each other more than last yearAnd the 4th when both kids had chickenpox
and she threw her shoe at him for no real reason…………
It’s about the 37th year when she finally
decided she could never change himAnd the 38th when he decided
a little change wasn’t that badIt’s about the 46th anniversary when they both
bought cards, and forgot to give them to each otherBut most of all it’s about the end of the 49th year
when they discovered you don’t have to be oldto have your 50th anniversary!!!!
I love the title of this poem and the sweet reality of it. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome – I love sharing some of the wonderful poems I discover. 🙂
I don’t know this collection, but I might have to buy it! A friend’s parents celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary last week. I want to share this poem with her, so she can pass it along to them.
It’s a really wonderful collection, full of real and approachable poems, and perfect for poetry lovers and newbies alike.
Wow – 63 years, how fantastic! 🙂
I have Garrison Keillor’s other anthologies, but not this one, Jane. What you’ve shared of the poem is wonderful, chronicling the ups and downs of a marriage.
This one was new to me, too – my mum lent me her copy, and I’ve really been enjoying it. She has great taste in poetry. 🙂
My partner and I have only been together 14 years (though it’s nearly half of our lives at this point), and already I could relate to these words oh so well!
I hope I get to make it to a 5oth anniversary with my beloved. I know we’ll still be young at that point!!
Yes, that’s something I really loved about this poem – being young is a state of mind, and you can celebrate your 50th anniversary and still be young! 🙂
Love the word LONGLY-WEDS, and the images in this poem. This collection is new to me. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks much!
It’s a really wonderful collection, I might just have to share another selection sometime – it’s really approachable poetry that I think could really help turn poetry newbies into poetry lovers!
What a delight of truths collected so nicely in one poem. I’m so glad I read this today! Thank you.
You’re very welcome, thank you so much for stopping by!
So much truth in this poem. I love the line about celebrating “…all the unremarkable years
that Hallmark doesn’t even make a card for.”
“Longly weds” have much to be thankful for (I know; I’m one of them:)!
So true! Sometimes we get so caught up in the blur of every day life that we forget how special each moment can be. Congrats on being a longly-wed! 🙂
This poem goes well with traditional holiday celebrations, special each year but as they pile up, harder to remember what set each one apart: “Was that the year I was sick and couldn’t cook so we rescheduled the Solstice Dinner?” “What grade are you in in this picture? You’re wearing the watch Grandma Vicki gave you for your birthday; was that 5th or 6th?” “How many Thanksgivings have we had at your new house–just one or is it two?”
We are longly-wed to our traditions, too! Thanks for this, Jane.
Absolutely! And to our friendships, as well. Sometimes we focus on the big events, the big milestones and major celebrations, but each year is special, and each event is worth treasuring.
Aww, this poem is so sweet. I love the last three lines. Gives one such hope.
So true. Age is just a number, and being young is a state of mind!
So thoughtful and sweet.
“But about all the unremarkable years that Hallmark doesn’t even make a card for.” Very true. Much like saying the imperfections are what make something perfect.