Long Marriage
By, Afua Serwah Osei-Bonsu
He planned the conversation
That one needs to have at the start of their marriage
To have a long marriage
He planned to hold it together
To keep it fresh
To even rehearse intimacy
To maintain respect and nonviolence
He made a deal with his wife
He asked himself and his partner, “Are we a forever marriage?”
If you do not say it, “Are we a forever marriage?” Perhaps it is not.
Some cultures have real steady men that mate for life
Some are circulators, vacillate, some grow tired, some do not, some marry more than one
Some have tested ways for maintaining relationships
For taking care of their match, preserving them, educating and teaching them, beautifying them, grooming them, making them happy, pleasing them, romancing them
Some develop ways for coasting holiday to holiday
Some want social matches, even socialites, prepared for culinary and a lifestyle of entertaining
Some want many, many friends, some want a homemaker and a home
Some want a premium wife or a sophisticated housewife
Some want a match with good taste and good tastes home
Some want a head of household
Some want a mother, some want a father
Some want a parent that is a teacher for their children
Some will build a children’s schoolhouse
Some will garden
Some will fill the house with flowers
Some will collect recipes and fill binders and plan
Some spend summer here and winters there
Some plan family trusts, philanthropy, community building and children’s trust funds
Excerpt from upcoming poetry book “Sago Palm” by Afua Serwah Osei-Bonsu