"What Is Marriage Really Like?"

“Grandpa,” they asked, as it got close to bedtime

“What is marriage really like?”  

I hemmed and hawed, my brain stuffed with weevils

Marriage can mean so many different things

An Argentine tango, a Chinese buffet  

In bad times, the chilblains or snarling pit bulls 

Suddenly it came to me, a Eureka moment

“Children,” I said, “marriage is like…a hike in the forest!”

And we all know what hiking in the forest is like 

Hikers set off with such rosy expectations

Eager to embrace nature in all its splendor

Fireflies mating, squirrels building their nests

The rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker

Even mysterious snarls from beyond the pine trees 

Deep in the forest hikers find their own secret space

Friends, parents, neighbors, far off in the distance 

They can laugh and sing, hug and kiss, do a silly dance

Or argue and scowl and scream and rant

But, as hikers, they have to create their routines

Which way to go, to the east or the west?

When one gets tired, the other slows down

And what to do when one strays from the path? 

Every minute in the forest, filled with give-and-take  

Hikers stick together on their way through the forest

Moving along at their two-person pace 

They are there to protect and support one another

Talking, watching, pointing, expressing their feelings

It’s sharing that makes their experiences memorable 

Hikes in the forest extend through the seasons

The best of times, a lush world, filled with plenty 

But leaves lose their luster, start trickling to the ground

Freezing ice sets in, the world is near dead 

If hikers stay patient, tiny buds pop open, the flora returns 

In time the forest’s wonders begin to wane

The trees, grass, and streams start to look the same 

As the long hike goes on, talk slows to a halt  

Hikers lapse into silence, immersed in private thoughts

Some portions of the forest make hiking exhausting 

Climbing steep hills, descending into ravines

The forest is challenging, even threatening at times 

Hikers struggle to make their way together 

But sometimes it’s too much and their journey ends

The last leg of the hike is sometimes the best 

Many miles traversed, the end now in sight

A time to reflect, to meditate

To appreciate the sights and sounds of the day 

Fish jumping in the pond, the bullfrogs croaking 

The Great Blue Heron flying overhead 

Memories to bring home to keep the hike alive 

So bedtime is here, that’s the end of my story 

Thanks to you, I’m now definitely clear on one thing 

Marriage is not an omelet, a chess game, a circus

Not a hailstorm, not even the tunnel of love 

Marriage, my chummies, is a hike in the forest!