The Wedding Dress

*this was another poem written on my missions trip..it is a true story*

He sat there with cold tears in his eyes
As he stared at his old cedar chest
Memories were around every torn wall
His life in that home has been the best

20 years and 3 and a half kids later
He can’t stand to even look around
The damage the hurricane did on his home
Left he and his family astound

A church came to gut out the soggy home
He gave a smirk and introduced himself
Said, “Please don’t throw away that chest
And thanks so much for all your help”

Everyone wondered what was in that chest
A ruined bible was one
What he really came back to get
Left the church blotchy eyes and stunned

He opened the chest and screws popped off
It was water logged and had mud inside
He pulled out a plastic bag that held a dress
When he married his beautiful bride

The stench couldn’t compare to anything
It was stained a faint yellow and brown
He pictured her hair done up and her smile
Now her hair a mess and she carries a frown

“I don’t know if she’ll keep this
Although she has for many years
We were going to give this to our daughter”
He said with salty tears

The pastor now crying looked up and said
“You might have lost parts of your life
But be thankful that you only lost the dress
And not your devastated wife”

Sometimes you have to turn the negative into a positive....