Elaine and Ed Sorrentino
By Elaine Sorrentino
Ed Sorrentino and I met as colleagues at South Shore Conservatory in Hingham, MA. It didn't take us long to discover we had much in common and we quickly became work friends. After a few years, the time felt right and we started seeing each other romantically. Having both experienced failed relationships, we intentionally took our time with this new one. It was important to us that our children were okay with this change, and that no one needed to transfer school systems before graduation. Once his children were off on their own, we married. Sunday, February 15, 2004 was a sunny and unseasonably warm winter’s day, and with family and a couple of friends in attendance, we exchanged vows. He moved in with me and my two boys, who are now married and out on their own. Twenty years later, we are grateful every day for having found each other.
Denial
It was just a kiss,
a harmless kiss, a friendly kiss,
two colleagues bidding adieu
wishing each other a safe journey home
with a kiss that might have lingered too long.
Swept away by the jazz and the heat
and the wine and the moon,
two vulnerable lips made contact,
a shy, delicate brush at first,
sweet and contemplative in the middle,
then passionate and urgent
before we stopped to catch our breath
and our senses.
It was just a kiss
a harmless, a friendly kiss,
and it will not change anything.
first appeared in Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine
Strolling the Boulevard
My hand found its home in yours
delicate within your strength,
we strolled through twinkling lights
deepening the texture of the moment.
Your attire, effortless
crisp button-down, pressed jeans
your olive skin, an exhilarating
blend of gentle and sturdy.
We feasted on cheese and wine
in the open air, carefree conversation
flowed without boundaries, our new
relationship meant discoveries to unwrap,
we clinked flutes until light mist
drove all young lovers inside
to enjoy the boulevard as observers,
away from curious glances.
I Will Be Your Partner Forever
I will be your partner today,
I will be your partner forever.
I am the one you can count on.
Lovers, friends, confidants, companions -
together we can face and embrace
what God sends our way,
and hopefully, in doing so,
make a difference in the lives around us.
Together we can guide our children
through the challenges
of young adult and adulthood
with encouragement and support.
Together we can make life
more special and rewarding for our parents
as they face the challenges of aging.
With you by my side,
the joys will be twice as joyful,
and the sorrows only half as sorrowful.
I am the one you can count on─
All That I Am Not
Implausibly selfless, he is not mired by the mud of egotism,
kindness - his inner compass, accepting no other route
than living life with absolute acceptance and inclusion;
to alleviate other’s pain, his solitary goal.
So different, so refreshing, this sensitive man
meets me where I am, expecting no modification,
embracing my absurdity, welcoming the levity;
the piece missing from a life-puzzle of responsibility.
Morning Ritual
Each day starts in the open air
steaming coffee, mug in hand
spouse across the table,
we drink in summer’s pull
the gentle ripple of the creek
the fresh aroma of newly shorn grass
rich sparkling dew on the lawn
like a soft carpet of diamonds
inviting our shoeless feet to indulge,
the subtle changing of seasons
the sun's slow western move
earlier each the day
as the sultry season buzzes by
like Motor Maids on bikes
or bees staking their claim at the feeder,
in these quiet moments
we cherish all that is sacred in our lives
giving thanks before diving into the daily grind.
