Ever After

The poem that I read and had me question and re- read several times was "Ever After" by Joyce Sutphen.

This poem has you question why did they get divorced? Whose fault was it for the relationship to end? How old were they when they got married? How old were they when they got divorced? How long did they date for before talking and thinking about marriage?

The narrator wonders what he thinks of her now that they are not in each other’s life. You assume she’s talking about someone who was part of her life and would like to know what he thinks of her now. The narrator uses the terms "ex" as the only thing that relates them now, they used to be one and used to be something but now are simply strangers that are not related but only have one thing in common two letters.

In the fifth paragraph she says the words they rarely used (husband and wife) seems odd to not be used if you’re married. Makes me wonder why didn’t they use those words? Did anyone not asked them of each other? When you go out somewhere where people don’t now you, you introduce yourself and the person you’re with and if you’re married well you say it’s your husband or wife. Maybe they had a weird relationship or kept a low profile of their relationship due to society? Family issues?

The sixth paragraph gave me the most curiosity of wanting to know what kind of relationship they had. It is mentioned that they "posed" (so young and helpless) as they cut a layered cake...Was their marriage obligated that she had to say they posed? Why would you say that scene in your life was a “pose”? 

When you get married it supposed to be a happy day that you never forget and don’t recall the memories as being fake or obligated. Maybe the narrator leaves out specific details to give the opportunity to use your imagination and let you make any conclusions of why things happen in her relationship with that person who used be someone in her life someone who met something to her and now wonders what has become of him and if he even thinks of her like she thinks of him.

The very last sentences of this poem seem to me that things happen that she kept just taking form him. She describes it as the layers of a wedding cake how first it’s sweet than it’s just a layer … and then becoming one thing once again.

From being two people that became one it ends with one’s self being one again and just left with the thought and memories of what it was and what they had when they were something.