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Wedding Night 

Leaving the bed,

he stood before the mirror.

At age twenty-one

his face youthful and handsome,

his eyes clear,

his chest and arms solid,

his stomach and buttocks tight,

his calves muscled and,

all but quivering with expectation,

his penis jutted rigidly forward

because,

in just a few minutes…

looking to the bathroom door.

In a few minutes the young woman

would come out and,

for the first time in either life they,

the young man and young woman,

married hours earlier,

for the first time in either life

the young man and young woman

would complete the act of sex,

would complete the act of love,

together,

with each other…

Virgins,

both feel God had given them,

this “first time” to them.

Returning to the bed,

water still running,

he looked to the bathroom door.

Realizing, leaving the bed,

the young man turned the television off.

Retuning to the bed,

water still running,

he looked to the bathroom door.

Lying nude atop the blanket,

feeling obvious, a bit obvious

pulling the folded blanket

from the foot of the bed,

covering himself

covering himself to the waist.

Silence.

Looking to the bathroom door.

Silence.

Ten minutes…

Fifteen minutes…

The knob turned.

The door opened.

“Oh…”

Afraid any sound or movement

would dissipate the dream before him,

for…

The living embodiment of a thousand longing dreams.

The hand-held lingering of a thousand empty,

passionate nights.

Feeling a tightening in his throat,

feeling a binding within his chest

and a stinging in his eyes,

because…

A study of youth

A study of beauty…

Cinched at the waist,

the long, diaphanous gown

opened into an inverted “V”

from below the shadow of

pubic hair widening as it fell along

the woman’s long slender legs.

The “V” of the gown widened from the waist up,

leaving the young woman’s chest bare

but covered both breasts with a

transparent, white sheen.

Not sure how to proceed,

she stood perfectly still, as…

In this protracted moment,

in this flickering point in time

the absolute beauty of his nineteen-year old bride

became indelibly etched onto the young man’s mind.

Taking a step towards the bed…

“No.”

Finding his voice,

throwing the cover off,

coming off the bed…

Not quite the reaction she’d expected.

Surprised, disappointed,

expecting him to be aroused,

his penis engorged…

It wasn’t.

The young woman

had no way of knowing

the reaction of her new husband

was far in excess of anything

she could possibly imagine.

For this moment in time

was the culmination of

the young man’s dreams,

of the young man’s fantasies,

and if the Ark of God

were suddenly to be placed before his eyes,

it would not,

it could not be more revered than…

Standing before his bride,

this moment in time

this moment more holy than sexual.

“Oh, God!”

Finding his voice,

“You’re beautiful!”

Having no way to describe his feelings,

feeling his words inadequate,

His voice husky,

“So beautiful!”

His heartfelt emotion

bringing tears to his eyes,

“I love you!”

Placing his hands to either side of her face,

“I love you!

Oh, God, I love you so much!”

“I love you!”

Placing her arms about his waist,

“I love you,”

moving her body against his…

Their lips met and…

The contact of

her lips onto his lips,

of her body onto his body

caused an immediate,

non-holy reaction

as blood pumped  downward

and the young man’s penis

jerked  upward as…

Her body held tightly against his body,

the warmth of her breasts,

the softness of her breasts

pressed against his chest,

her thighs against his thighs,

as…

Feeling “him” there,

within the upper breach of her thighs,

“Oh, God!”

Holding both buttocks,

her nails making sharp impressions

in the soft flesh,

“I love you!”

As…

Moving back a foot,

untying  the sash…

Moving back a foot,

shrugging her shoulders…

The gown fluttered to the floor.

 “My, God!”

Unable to take his eyes

from the absolute beauty

of his bride.

Seeing now,

for the first time,

the fully nude body of his wife,

“You’re beautiful.”

In his mind

his words still inadequate,

“So beautiful!”

Reaching to him, encircling him.

His eyes closed to the ecstasy of her touch.

“Lay next to me,”

the young woman said.

“love me.”

Lips touching bodies meeting

the husband and  wife lay closely together.

  ©April 4, 2012 / Mark M. Lichterman