The Rings

After three weeks
The ridges from the rings
Barely there
The finger had almost forgotten
Being bound for
A quarter of a century
She was surprised
That she had not remembered
To put them back on
For she had not forgotten,
She never forgot,
That she had said yes
That he had said yes
And they had encircled themselves
With each other
And somewhere beyond pleasure
Beyond safety and comfort
They had agreed
Not to be turned from this entanglement

She had thrown the rings once
When they were at an impasse
Somehow they had drawn on their agreement
And found a way back
Or fought a way back
It didn’t matter which
They proved that they could repair broken pieces
Make a new whole

She slipped the rings on and off
And on again,
Trying them on other fingers,
The prince searching for the right foot
But they only ever fit the one
That ran to her heart
She left them there
Like Cinderella wore the slippers
Even though she had the prince