The Old Church Watches Poem by Adrian Murphy

In silence the old church watches
Old friends gathering on the steps
Lives so busy they seldom meet.
A long forgotten face sighted in the crowd
Hands shaken firmly, kind words spoken.
Stories retold of a carefree youth,
Nights shared in song and laughter,
Times that were happy and some that were sad.

A joyous young bride passing through the doors
Taking that final step from innocence to adulthood
Inside, a restless groom counting as the seconds go by
Guests adorned with wedding day finery,
Heads carelessly decorated with hats and feathers,
Men’s crisp shirt collars evoking long forgotten school days.
In grace, the bride and groom make their vows
Promises exchanged, hearts bursting with love.

As man and wife they embrace the daylight
Old friends gathering on the steps
Eager to shower hugs and blessings upon them.
Laughter rising spontaneously from the crowd
As dark suited elders shuffle from foot to foot
Recalling their own moment, many years before.
As the cameras click and old friends chatter
This day the world is theirs and life is sweet.