remembering her wedding in Izmir, June 1994

The church in Izmir
Episcopal as I recall
seemed out of place
in this port city
with its many mosques
broadcasting their recorded
calls to prayer

The church was only ordinary
but the wedding
was something special
with the Turkish guests
singing to beat the band
while we Anglos
on our side of the aisle
did what we could
to hold our ground

Ismail's parents
still very much alive
were a gracious presence
hosting my folks
and me after the wedding
I still can picture
the photograph Ismail's father
showed me
something deeply personal and touching
just once he'd gone back to Bulgaria
to see the town
where he'd lived with his parents
as a child
found no-one who remembered him
but found a tree
he recognized from all those years before
in the photo both his arms are wrapped
around a limb and his two cheeks
are wet with tears

Your story, sister dear
of how the marriage
came about
after some years of
you two circling
around eachother
bears telling one more time
how Ismail flew up
to spend the Christmas holiday
with you
in Moscow where
you had a job teaching
in a Soviet era school
the two of you
spent a precious week
and then once more
Ismail left
with no plans
no words about a future
for your love
but then a call from Turkey
Ismail saying
Susanna let's get married
oh, and by the way
I might have to spend
some time in prison

And you - we'll talk about the marriage
later - first things first
let's see about your troubles
with the law
and then as luck would have it
in the courtroom
the widow of the man
Ismail had run over
on a dark road at night
not knowing what it was
he'd hit
said for years I've been expecting
this to happen
he was always falling down
drunk in the street
the judge threw out the case
but for the next few months
Ismail gave up driving
and you moved in with him
and planned the wedding

Now it's been over thirty years
and look
you two are happy
settled in your marriage
with grandkids too
though not with you in Turkey
is it possible
that were it not for him
that man drunk in the road
and there's no telling
how many cars had hit him
before some witness
wrote Ismail's licence down
does it seem possible
the wedding would have never
taken place?
I'm certain you two would have found
another way
perhaps another time
to come together
still it seems we make God work
harder than necessary
to bring our stories
to their proper endings