A marriage aged one

Is hardly begun;

A fling in the sun,

But it’s hardly begun;

A green horse,

A stiff course,

And leagues to be run.

A marriage aged five

Is coming alive.

Watch it wither and thrive;

Though it’s coming alive,

You might guess,

No or yes,

If it’s going to survive.

A marriage aged ten

Is a hopeful Amen;

It’s pray for it then,

And mutter Amen,

As the names

Of old flames

Sound again and again.

At twenty a marriage

Discovers its courage.

This year do not disparage,

It is comely in courage;

Past the teens

And blue jeans,

It’s a promising marriage.

Yet before twenty-one

It has hardly begun.

How tall in the sun,

Yet hardly begun!

But once come of age,

Pragmatically sage,

Oh, blithe to engage in

Is sweet marri-age.

Tilt a twenty-first cup

To a marriage grown up,

Now sure and mature,

And securely grown up.

Raise twenty-one cheers

To the silly young years,

While I sit out the dance

With my dearest of dears.