My Vow

I once took a vow

To love you for better or worse,

in sickness and health,

for richer or poorer,

for as long as we both shall live.

Now sickness has set in,

Old age has arrived,

Fortunes have waned,

Our wedding photos faded,

Along with our youthful aspirations.

You take my tired hands in yours,

Smooth out the lines around my eyes,

Tuck my thinning hair behind my ears,

And catch the falling tears

running down my cheek.

You look onto me the same way

As that day you took the same vow,

As we started our new life together

As man and wife

For the rest of our lives.

We built our world

together

We lived through many joys

together

We survived many storms

together

We grew in love

together

I was there when you battled

the wars in your body

And you were there when I battled

the wars to keep our world.

Some of those battles we won

and some we lost.

But through it all,

we had each other.

So you may see my tired hands,

My worried eyes,

My greying hair,

But also see my grateful tears.

For the love that I have for you

carries me everyday,

to take care of you,

in body and mind.

The love I have for you

runs through my whole being,

and is carried in the winds

to reach all corners of the world.

The love I have for you

is the centre that I draw upon

in my love for all in this world,

and all that I do for this world.

So whether for better or worse,

in sickness and health,

for richer or poorer,

for as long as I shall live,

my love is in every breath.