Around a stiff, turkey-ish neck
Below a haggard, lined face
A glittering diamond necklace sparkles
Adding fake gusto
Accenting weariness
She's seen so many weddings already
So many families fall apart.

Leaning serenely against the buffet table
An image of wayside gas stations
And sand
In empty pockets.
To her eyes
The groom resembles a puffed up rooster
An empty faced rag doll, the bride
She longs for an endless stream of
Winding, dusty road.

Squirming in that stuffy chair
The sun sneaks
Through confining windows
Tempting.
Flies buzz sluggishly like
The priest droning on.
No six-year-old deserves
Such torture.

Feeling defiant and heartsick
The elder sister crams
A greasy baseball hat
Over her French knot.
It clashes with her mocking bridesmaid's dress.
Among the uptight tuxedo mannequins
She dares you to stare.

How cruel can you get?
The much-loved Lab
Struggles for freedom
From the frilly prison
An ear cocked to the "I do's."

Childhood dreams
White, floaty dresses
Diamond rings
Dissolve.
The clock strikes midnight
Glass slipper shatters
Asink full of dirty dishwater
And whining children.