Marry Me

by Alyssa M. Isaac

The wedding day has come

and gone Bride Barbie,

and now you are still

a bright eyed girl with

a painted on smile.

I do not know

how you do it Barbara

I certainly would not

look like you

if the man I wanted

to call mine

did not show up

to marry me,

but you did not want

anyone to mention that

did you?

you expected everyone

to just clam up

and put on a sincere smile

just like you.

I have difficulty

with that though

because unlike you

I have memories

to tell

for instance, I clearly remember

that day.

The dress

for the occasion

was spring casual

since I had on cream colored sandals

and a black floral dress

that had rainbow buds

that just pop right out

at you.

You wore the same dress that you are wearing today,

only then it was

a crisp silken netted knit

instead of the dusty dirt tinged

mess that it is now.

What caught my attention

was a diamond cut button

on the back of your dress

that when pushed

played a chimed

“here comes the bride.”

Cold feet Ken did not hear

the song though.

The last time I saw him

he was wearing

Hawaiian inspired swim trunks

and seemed too busy being

boxed up

in his own plastic world,

which may I add looked like

a backdrop in Malibu.

Well, needless to say

I knew who was on his mind

at the time,

but if I were you

I would not worry too much

about Malibu Stacey

after all she is just

an L.A. shop girl.

Ken however is the doll

to get mad at, that is why I cannot

understand how after all this time

you can just sit still and smile.

Maybe I am missing something,

perhaps I am not one

to judge after all.

One day I may be

just like you

sitting pretty,

having to paint on a smile

while feeling

empty inside.