Runaway Bride
I hear church bells in the distance.
Yesterday I thought I would be there,
but here I am, the runaway bride,
standing by the side of the road
with the suitcase I’d packed so carefully for my honeymoon.
I try to imagine what Richard is doing right now.
What he might be thinking.
Is my mother regretting the money she spent on my gown?
Is my father wondering about the reception—
whether they will just carry on
since he will have to pay for the hundred meals
whether they are eaten or not?
Will my sister blame me forever
for the dress I’ve made her wear with no payoff?
Who will announce
to the assembled guests
that the bride will not be in attendance?
A truck slows. In the back are cages of chickens
and one muddy pig.
The old farmer asks where I am going.
“Anywhere you’re going,” I announce,
and hitch up my skirts,
flip my bridal veil over my shoulder
and climb up into the pickup.
As we take off to wherever,
I notice that my veil has come off my shoulder.
Through the side rear vision mirror, I can see it
flapping cheerily in the wind
as we drive past the church,
and I see the groom, mouth agape.
I do not wave good-bye.
Narrative Poem for dVerse Poets. Photo by Dylan Nolte on Unsplash, used with permission.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Good one!
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Excellent! I somehow found myself cheering her on, even though I do feel sorry for the groom, the guests and the parents. The idea of holding the reception without the bride as well – what a thought! I figure if she’s running, her heart mustn’t have been in it from the start…
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Go girl 🙂
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Ouch – a good ballad, though
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A well-executed and enjoyable tale (well, enjoyable for the readers and perhaps the runaway).The veil ‘flapping cheerily’ makes me believe she is enjoying her decision.
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This was an enjoyable read, though I feel sorry for the bride, groom and her parents. You’ve written very well. 🙂
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I am reminded of a Julia Roberts movie “The Runaway Bride”. Your version is much better!!
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Yes.. I had that in mind.
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So glad, so very glad I came back to read the last of the narratives! Love this!
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Thanks for coming back, Helen. I’m glad you did, too.
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This one made me chuckle as I was the runaway bride almost exactly 25 years ago, literally left him at the alter, the smartest thing I ever did! 😉
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I would love to hear the story of that, Tiffany.
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Oh, it’s much like your poem! We had dated since I was 17, I assumed he was the one, but thank goodness my common sense kicked in, and my parents supported my decision! It wasn’t easy but it was the right thing to do!
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Were you actually at the altar when you told him?
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Not exactly, I told him that morning, after agonizing all night. Then I had to call the 100+ guests to tell them not to come!
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OMG. No one helped you with the calls?
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I think my mom helped, I’ve kinda repressed my memories of this time!😜
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