Till Death Do Us Part Poem by Angela L. Burke

Once upon a time, the year of 1867
A lovely girl named Addie,
Met a charming man named Evan.
She left her home and all she'd known
So that they could be married.
Thinking she had finally found her heaven.

He came from high society
Wealthy merchants from the North.
Her family, all poor farmers,
Were from the South of course,
So rumors flew of how he'd met her,
Whispers floating all around.
Never failing on her entry,
The ceasing of all sound.

It wouldn't take much time
For them to form their first impressions.
It was a shame she was from humble means,
According to her current fashion,
And sorely lacking in intelligence,
Based purely on her accent.

The look of disapproval upon his Mothers face,
The day that Addie had relayed
Fifty dollars, she had saved.
All to the merchantile she'd paid
For the soft, white cotton fabric
Trimmed with handmade lace.
It had taken her three months to stitch
The wedding dress she'd made.

Mother then insisted, that it clearly would'nt do.
They must spend the day out shopping
To look for something new.
She said' I wouln't want you to feel awkward
In a dress that looked so used.'

That was the beginning of
what would be, five long years,
Of looking down their noses
Like they had roses in their rears.
It would be the first for Addie,
Of many painful tears.

The darkness of reality
Slowly lifted up her veil.
Slithering from it's mask
Evil reared it's ugly head.
There were members of this family,
who would love to see her dead.

She wasn't sure the reason.
Surely it must be her nerves,
That caused these thoughts
Of paranoia and suspicion.
Something wasn't right
Behind those charming wicked smiles.
Why did she have such dreadful thoughts
And premonitions?

They controlled her every move.
Their gaze, she'd not elude.
They provided everything
And let her know who held the strings.
She was a thorn in their sides to them indeed.
But her suspicions, she dismissed.
And did not heed.

It seems that Evan, charming fellow,
Did not turn out to be so mellow.
His temper had a tendancy to flair.
He'd loose all control,
Throw daggers at her very soul.
Poor Addie, was trapped inside his lair.

One day, in a fit of rage,
He struck her with an iron stave.
He beat her brutally,
Till her last breath escaped.
When he realized what he'd done
At the setting of the sun.
He his her body in a shallow grave.

Her body never found,
They say, her spirit walks around.
You can hear her crying late into the night.
She wears the wedding dress she'd made.
She'd tried it on the day he laid
Her lifeless body in the shallow ground.

Her vows, for better or for worse,
Had turned out to be her curse.
Now she walks among the dead
With broken heart.
Her teardrops whispering,
'Till death do us part.'