To have
in a tight fist she
brought flowers home from
work that looked like
her eyes and stared at the floor
he smelled like flowers
whose petals never touched
her perfume or
his cologne.

To hold
they ended up on
opposite sides of the bed
and forgot how to hug
each other's naked bodies
without getting stuck
on elbows and aching
at the knees
it was okay
"happens to everyone."

For better
she smiled too harshly
for him
he laughed too loudly
for her

For worse
his demons and hers
fought on the playground
of their dark closet corners.
and their rib cage swingsets
crumbled under pressure.

For richer
they never found out
she blamed his lazy soul
he blamed her easy wallet.

For poorer
taxes saturated
their happy home
like the dust that
saturates spiderwebs
in haunted houses.

In sickness
she had to work two jobs
now
and then
in secret
daydreamed about rolling
his fucking wheelchair
off of a cliff,
and swallowing
all of his pills.

In health
only sick of each other.

Until death do us part
he cried a couple tears
at the funeral
remembering
how pretty she looked
on their wedding day
he went outside
smoked
and gave his number
to the cute curator.