The Weigh-In
by Odin Roark

And you thought the stars were blinking for you?

You’ve been trained, tested and warned,
done all the right things,
and now…

You stare blankly,
review the past,
ready your strategy for the win,
consider,
debate,
ponder.

Fate or destiny?

All the sweat and tears,
diets of denial,
wanting to be at your best,
chiseled form,
glistening eyes,
rippling confidence
triumphant smile,
if only it all works.

Yes…

Now you wait out a good night’s rest,
as only hours away,
when words will be said,
heads will nod,
hands will tense,
questioned understanding will be asked,
and you in all your heady pride
will answer with “I do.”

It begins.

You’ll step into the middle,
size up the unknowns,
dance around commitment,
exercise patience,
and hope your own star will be the brightest.

But in the end,
with a little luck and stamina,
realization shines through
that marriage is not about winning,
but about respecting your counterpart,
thus raising the odds you’ll go the distance.