Antes de la Boda
from the oil on canvas by Antonio Muñoz Degrain
The bones of her corset creak against her ribs
as she breathes, Necesito un momento,
por favor.
She dreams of salt water dried on her skin,
of the warm breeze tangling her curls.
Of Valencia. Of home.
She clasps her right hand, wrist
bruised and aching from her father’s
grasp. Wrapped tightly in satin
and trimmed with ribbon,
she is the gift. White and soft,
she is the dove. And her bouquet,
the olive branch.
This poem is from my Poetry Writing I class at Baker University. It was part of the poetry collection, Olive Branch, which I presented at the 2013 Sigma Tau Delta International Conference. It was published in the 2014 edition of Watershed Literary Magazine.
Antes de la boda is Spanish for “Before the wedding.”
Necessito un momento por favor is Spanish for “I need a moment please.”
Kate M. Colby 
A very insightful poem of a very beautiful painting. This is the first poem of yours I read and enjoyed it very much.
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Thank you very much! I’m glad you liked it. I’ll be posting more of my university writing in the near future. 🙂
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I am here because you “liked” my blog, Needle at Sea Bottom. Thanks a bunch!
A very nice poem. Intriguing because of the painting. Thankfully, I think! I’m not a woman and have to endure such fashions as whalebone corsetry. Thankfully too, and likely more so, I’m not a whale hunted almost to extinction. Still the poem evokes many images.
Almost 80% of the world’s people live within a hundred miles of the sea … go figure? I used to live near the sea and currently plan on moving back closer once my house is sold. After 40 years of living here I’m ready for a change. Sea salt is such a powerful intoxicant. I occasionally write poetry for my personal amusement. What style is used here?
Considering this part of Spain. An olive branch may well have been used for a bouquet? Yet, the corsage is a yellow rose. I especially liked the “olive branch” imagery. … Cheers Jamie
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Jamie, thank you so much for your insightful comment! I do not write poetry often, but when the muse strikes, I really enjoy it. Also, I do not live anywhere near the sea, which is why I love to write about it so much.
The style of this poem is free verse, but it was part of a university writing class where the assignment was to write a poem about a piece of artwork. So, I tried to make the poem an interesting take on what the bride in it may be feeling on her wedding day.
I’m not sure if olive branches have ever been used in bouquets, but they may well have been. Since the character in my poem is in an arranged marriage, I used images like “dove” and “olive branch” to imply that she and her marriage are part of a peace treaty between two families.
Thank you again for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed the poem!
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