the wedding photo

i remember

him

in a rented suit,

grey and

baggy,

the loose fabric

hanging on his slender

shoulders.

bearded.

not smiling, but standing

next to his wife

in duty.

she was plump with child.

not quite done

with the hippy

hair,

and beads,

the garland of flowers

as a crown.

it's an old photo.

1973.

and when he died

last year, 

i took it out

to look at it again.

we were all children

back then.