Below is an ekphratic poem (a poem written about a piece of art) of one of my favorite funny/ironic paintings at the Toledo Museum of Art. The painting is titled, “The Marriage of a Saint.” It looks like a shotgun wedding to me. A lass, perhaps the pregnant bride may have been knock up by another and the groom is a “saint” for marrying her. Maybe the saint of a groom took a vow of celibacy yet still wanted a kid. Who knows…
Marriage of a Saint
Perhaps godliness lies
In a clerical air
Of hands tied
With the debauched
Potbellied
Or merely balding
Bride
Kidding herself with some ab solution
Ripe to be holy groomed
Celibating the reputation of a man chaste
Conceivably the quickest rout for true north
Or southern hospitality for a marred women
Pulling out aplomb at a wedding
Shotgun aimed at one’s foot
As unquestion ably the bell tolling for thee
As a tone meant
Fore whatever maybe
Spousing beliefs
In awe that is maid flesh
Is for you too divine
For more info on the painting, see: https://emuseum.toledomuseum.org/objects/55180
