On the Eve of my Wedding


I welcome you all here tonight
And thank you for your time
Whenever someone’s to be wed
We drink a toast that rhymes

My father began this custom
And his poems were always nice
He wrote one for each of his children
And for me he did it twice

So as we drink this toast tonight
I toast my father too
My poems are not as good as his
But this will have to do

Now first of all its proper
To respond to Russ’s toast
So join me as I honor
Our hostess and our host

We’ve all enjoyed this dinner
The good food and the wine
Here’s to your health and happiness
Thank you for a very good time

Now some of you who know me well
Will say, Oh, Not Again!
Don’t you know in marriage boy
You just can’t seem to win

Common sense would say you’re right
I have tried this before
But what to do when you find someone
You absolutely adore

I think you throw out common sense
And listen to the heart
I think you marry the one you love
When you can’t stand being apart

Laura Lee’s a pretty girl
She’s really quite a catch
I did my best to run her off
But I had met my match

She’s learned to live her life
The way she rides her horse
Whenever she is thrown off
She gets back on, of course

She loves to be out on the water
On the good ship Suladan
She drives the boat and swabs the deck
As well as any man

She also loves my children
And that’s important, you see
Because she’s not marrying one person
She’s marrying one plus three

She’s quite a designing woman
My new house looks just swell
Maybe she knew in the back of her mind
That it might be her house as well

Our courtship was not an easy one
Because I kept wanting to hide
But I guess I finally met the one
Worth putting my fears aside

So now that I’m to marry
Please join me in a toast
I raise my glass to honor
Those I treasure the most

I’m blessed with three wonderful children
Two beautiful girls and a boy
They’ve been with me through thick and thin
And now they share my joy

First I drink to Suzanne
Whose wisdom belies her years
To her voice as sweet as an angel
Which always brings me to tears

And then to my best man Daniel
The athlete of our crowd
He plays and lives with heart and soul
That would make any father proud

And then I drink to Laura
The sunshine of every day
A creative chef and artist
And a joy in every way

These children are very special
They mean the world to me
I thank them for their love and support
And so does Laura Lee

Finally I raise my glass
To toast my lovely bride
She’s been patient and loving and giving
And now she’ll be at my side

Here’s to our life together
To my children and Laura Lee
May love and faith and friendship
Make us a family

May we learn to live together
And keep each other from harm
And may we prove that for me at least
The third time’s really a charm

 

John Samford
May 5, 1995