Category: news

bruce and i are getting married on july 11 — two days before our 30th anniversary … we were never big on the marriage bandwagon (see “i don’t want to get married” on this site under “poetry”) … but we’ve come around …

this is a lyric, henry krieger wrote the music for a song for our friends john and marcia goldman who were celebrating their 25th anniversary … of course, my inspiration was bruce … the song will close our wedding ceremony — performed by our friends nick cearley and eric lesh

people ask us how we’ve lasted
so many couples don’t survive
like a feast to one who’s fasted
i can’t wait ‘til you arrive

reviewing years
of every-daying
too rich and full
to comprehend
i sum it up
by humbly saying
i’m married to my best friend

yes, married to my best friend
no company i’d rather share
i know that the laughs
and adventure won’t end
i’m married to my best friend

i am grateful fate was smiling
on that day when we first met
ever since we’ve been compiling
memories we won’t forget

we’ve weathered storms
we’ve kept on going
we’ve held the road
each twist and bend
and you’re the reason
i keep growing
i’m married to my best friend

yes, married to my best friend
no company i’d rather share
i know that the laughs
and adventure won’t end
i’m married to my best friend

listen, my children
and you shall hear
of a time less kind
to being queer
a time when gays
were rarely seen
on the small
or silver screen
when even the l-word
was deemed obscene
and few were aware
what queen could mean

a time before
gay clubs were in

a time when love
was called a sin
if it didn’t fit
in a rockwell frame
if it dared
to speak its name

a time when no one
even spoke
of couples made
of bloke and bloke
or bird and bird
unless some rancid joke

was heard
whispered in a private club
or yelled out
in a rowdy pub

a time
when brave souls
risked their limbs
and risked their lives
acknowledging their deepest drives
were to connect
with their own kind
in body
and of course in mind

a time
when most would never think
to proudly march
instead of slink
into the dark
and cramped confines
of closets
where the old designs
of society and church
were hung
and stored
with hatred’s fetid dung

so listen, my children
and you shall hear
how far we’ve come
away from fear
how those before you
braved the wrath
of reverend
and psychopath
and stood their ground
to love themselves
and free their kind
to be at peace
in home and mind

and though our progress
is hard-got
and we are in
a better spot
still many battles

must be fought
a lot has changed
a lot has not