My Cardboard Balcony

I Could Not Marry by Belinda Roddie I could not marry the girl that I love; I could not see her dressed in simple white. I could not watch her father lead her down the aisle where we'd say our vows tonight. I could not lift the veil from her face or recite to her the gentle, "I do," nor kiss her while we stood under God's grace, the One who smiles when I say, "I love you." We could not dance at the reception hall - we could not shove cake in each other's mouths. We could not flash our rings at the dark sky, ready to honeymoon beneath the clouds. I could not marry the girl I adore because I'm a girl, too, and nothing more.

"It was a stick." "It was a concealed weapon." "It was a stick ." He struggles against the confines of the cuffs, but the belligerent cop has made sure they're tight. He's wondering if any blood is running past his wrists anymore. "I was protecting my little brother." "Maybe don't brandish a knife next time, eh?" " It was a stick ."