Vows

I snagged these from somewhere. I think they're beautiful!

In the presence of the Light,
I take you to be my beloved,
I will be a courageous and adoring partner.
I ask you to be the same.
I promise to delight in you
and cherish your spirit,
to welcome life’s challenges with patience and humor,
I promise to revel in our differences
and in our passions.

This commitment is born of hope,
declared in the presence of family and friends,
nurtured with gratitude, lived joyfully
and made more true today.

Poem

it feels as though i make my way
through massive rock
like a vein of ore
alone, encased

i am so deep inside it
i can't see the path or any distance:
everything is close
and everything closing in on me
has turned to stone

since i still don't know enough about pain,
this terrible darkness makes me small
if it's you, though -

press down hard on me, break in
that i may know the weight of your hand,
and you, the fullness of my cry.

- Ranier Maria Rilke