Our dear friend Kristin Moore spent this past weekend with us (more about her visit in a later post) and snapped some wonderful new photos of our family for us.
Kristin's composition of the photo posted below reminded me of a poem I've long admired, published in 1958 by John Ciardi. Katie's arrival, and our sharing in her care, has given the poem—with its references to marriage's delights, solidity, delicacy, and promise that two weaknesses might together create a strength—fresh meaning. I like to think of Katie sheltering in the arch of our marriage.
"Most Like an Arch This Marriage"
by John Ciardi
Most like an arch—an entrance which upholds
and shores the stone-crush up the air like lace.
Mass made idea, and idea held in place.
A lock in time. Inside half-heaven unfolds.
Most like an arch—two weaknesses that lean
into a strength. Two fallings become firm.
Two joined abeyances become a term
naming the fact that teaches fact to mean.
Not quite that? Not much less. World as it is,
what's strong and separate falters. All I do
at piling stone on stone apart from you
is roofless around nothing. Till we kiss
I am no more than upright and unset.
It is by falling in and in we make
the all-bearing point, for one another's sake,
in faultless failing, raised by our own weight.
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