You’re not his bride.
He’s not your groom.
You’ll never tango;
that dance takes two.

Beware the rose
clenched tight in your teeth.
It still carries thorns
the groom slyly bequeathed.

You claim vindication
to the near-empty church,
saying it’s you who has left
the groom in the lurch.

The groomsmen drift off,
gifts must be returned,
future in-laws sent home
by the bride sadly spurned.

The bridesmaids, too,
dressed up all the same
try in vain to save face
in the scorned bride’s name.

But they hike up their dresses
another wedding to seek
before the guests notice
how the bride’s bouquet reeks.

As break dancers take
to the reception hall floor,
the tango strains follow
diplomacy out the door.

Wedding crashers line up
awaiting a feast.
They’ll not go home hungry;
they will feed off the beast.

And so your romance
with clandestine ties
is unraveling now
before everyone’s eyes.

The moral is simple
for all those misled:
know with whom you are sleeping
before climbing in bed.

“He’s not my bride, and I’m also not his bride or groom”
~ Russian President Vladimir Putin, in regards to Donald Trump. (9/5/2017)

“It takes two to tango. It seems to me, our U.S. counterparts for now are performing solo breakdance moves.”
~ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (9/1/2017)