An old man and his pipe
was married once.
His marriage was longer than I do’s
He loved the feel of the pipe on his tongue.
That girl and her off-white dress ate him at the core, but every polygamist has his favorite.
The smoke once hugged his Adam’s apple as it canoed to the pit of his heart.
Ephemeral. She was shorter than ephemeral. His pipe lasted longer.
Crushed by love for him she swayed. She loved him so much her soul jilted.

When a groom is taken aback
the old man coughs,
a bride teeters,
and forever after is nevermore.