Ring bells of celebration across the blogosphere: Abdul-Walid and Sophie are wed! I copied one of my favorite love poems ("This Marriage" by Rumi) as a benediction for them.

I love weddings because they're the perfect point of intersection between poetry and religion. In these liminal moments, people pay close attention to the words they use. Beneath the chuppah a state-change is effected, and when the couple walks back down the aisle they're something different than they were when they arrived. What could be more exciting to me as a poet than this proof that language really is transformative?

Also I'm a romantic. I'm charmed (and awed) every time I see two people committing to cherish and celebrate one another, day after day. Asserting that while everyone grows and changes over the course of a lifetime, these two intend to do so side-by-side. Making the leap of faith that says, "I want you to be my fellow traveler, wherever this road may take us."

I sent one of my favorite love poems to Abdul-Walid and Sophie. Today I am posting two more of my favorites beneath the fold. Because once upon a time a rainstorm blew in on the 7th of June, which they tell me was good luck. I'm not sure I ascribe much to the fact of the rain, but my astonishingly good fortune is undeniable, today and every day.