An odd wedding (revised)

I walk through church grounds on my way to a wedding. It’s a concrete paradise except for one carefully fenced tree, like they’re afraid it will attack . . . or escape. 11

They clean up every leaf.22

Somber dressed people glare at me in my modern leaf green Victorian garb, I don’t belong here, I don’t fit in, my clothes aren’t respectful, I’m not taking their faith seriously.33

In the park people gather, earth tones per request or not, whatever. Here trees shed their leaves with immodest abandon, mixed with glitter this is the couple confetti. Even autumn celebrates their union as laughter tickles a sky to blue happiness. Cheers and smiles, clapping, teasing and cat calls spill out the edge of our clearing. People give us disapproving looks; we’re not taking this union seriously.44

We sat on tarpaulins, bright blue pools. The officiator, environmentalist modern day hippy without dreads, pot or radical opinion, wore an old school blazer and red tie (bad pattern); he sweeps his long blonde hair out of his eyes repetitively as he reads the words the groom had written for him. The bride directs him as to the lighting of candle of union, and nudges him to ask for vows, he hasn’t rehearsed this; he was probably invited by frilly text message this morning, as were we all.55

The groom wore an op-shop grey suit, very sedate and swish, jandals and big white model sunglasses, the bride wore a similar pair in red with a leopard print dress, teased blood red hair balanced by hairspray wobbled on her head. Their temperaments matched each others appearance, Jeremy ran round in circles and laughed to loud (he had tried to climb out the court room window earlier when they had signed) and Simone stood calmly, she sipped coke through a straw.66

As they exchanged flesh hole earrings I wondered to myself what the people in pink lipstick and polished black clicking shoes would say about a union between a girl and boy, not yet twenty, who celebrated their union, while their respective boyfriends watched from our non-existent pews. 7

We are not taking marriage seriously. They suck their teeth. There is no love, no connection, a mockery of law. But on the tarps Jeremy's boyfriend sits. They love, they connect but . . .8

Society does not take their commitment seriously.