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 