Our Family Reunions Are Strange Poem by David Welch

I will sometimes be asked how it came about
that my children have one set of grandparents,
and I know just what you are thinking now,
but hear me out, an all of this will make sense.

I'm explaining this for one final time
to put all these blasted rumors to rest,
the odd position my family is in
did not come about due to incest!

It began when I, Armond Carruthers,
fell in love with a beautiful girl.
Her name is Denise, and she is my light
in this crazy and much-confused world.

See the two of us were high school sweethearts,
been together since our junior year,
managed to build something that could outlast
the blind passion of our teenage years.

But during our freshman year of college
we decided that we couldn't wait,
maybe we were just a pair of young fools,
but we went ahead and set the date.

Now this is the point the story gets strange,
both of us were raised by one parent alone,
my father died in a car accident
when I was six, mom raised me on her own.

Denise's mother was out of her life,
she cheated on her dad when Denise was four,
her father George did all the upbringing,
he gave her all of his hear and then more.

We were just nineteen when we got engaged,
her dad George was a fit forty-one,
my mother, Kristen, was just thirty-nine,
wanted to do something nice for her son.

She was us to focus on our studies,
and would gladly help plan the wedding,
that she and George would make things run smoothly,
we both thanked her, and let them do their thing.

They both must have seen something they liked,
though neither one of us realized it then,
they kept meeting up to ‘plan the wedding'
again...and again...and again…

All this time we just thought it was nice
that these future in-laws were getting along,
figured it would make holidays easy,
you can say we both read that one wrong.

Of course they did not tell us all this,
and the wedding was done in fine style,
neither realizing that for two months now
my mother knew that she was with child…

When three months later it became obvious,
both our parents sheepishly let us know,
to say we were stunned does not describe it,
but later to the courthouse we did go.

And as if this surprise wasn't enough,
when my mind struggled to make some sense,
I received even more life-changing news,
my Denise was also now pregnant…

All of this took place just six years ago,
and it's got more confusing since that time,
my mother gave birth to my wife's sister,
who is also a sister of mine.

Two years later they would do it again,
and this time it turned out to be twins,
my mother and siblings all have George's name,
with his daughter now named for my kin!

When people ask mom of her maiden name,
and realize it's the same last name as me,
they all assume I was born of wedlock
when my mom had been happily married!

Denise and I had three of our own,
and live nearby, just a mile's distance,
most children go to play with their cousins,
ours go play with their uncles and aunts.

My two oldest boys are now the nephews
of two uncles who they exceed in age,
my daughter's best friend is my sister, her aunt,
it's enough to turn anyone gray.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my siblings,
there should be no doubt about that fact,
the problem is that so many people
seem to lack entirely in tact.

When they learn my kinds have two grandparents
they immediately assume the worst,
heard people whisper my wife is my sister,
more than once it's made me go berserk.

And I worry what my children will face
when they grow old enough to understand,
all know how kids tease, they're damn merciless,
children's pain will torment any man.

Sometimes I wonder if we should have regrets,
but thankfully those thoughts do not persist,
odd as we are, if mom had done different
then half of my family wouldn't exist.

Bizarre as it all may seem to you folk,
looking back, there's nothing I would change;
and to answer the question you're all thinking,
yes, our family reunions are strange.