My very good friend, Bob Smith, sent me the following paragraph in response to the Conversation With Myself Blog entry (You'll see why E. E. Cummings poem came immediately to mind):

I too don't get it! The blog about marriage is very good, "A Conversation..." and the straight/crooked thing is so on target. What the Hell!!! We're born, grow up, explore ourselves, date, touch and get touched, get married or not, make career choices, live our lives to the best of our abilities, live in our heads, the lucky ones in our hearts, love one and more than one, partner(v), divorce, partner(v) again, laugh, cry, dance, read, write, talk on the phone, email, blog, recite pledges, honor them or not, try to live resolutely, get sidetracked, get back on track, walk the straight and narrow sometimes usually an hour at a time, most times not, help others, get in their way too, go our own way, walk alone, walk with others, fight, make up, make up some more just for the fun of it, tickle and get tickled, have friends over, cook and eat great food, enjoy preludes, uncork wine and empty the bottle, get crazy good crazy, guard pools, swim in them, celebrate the night and the mornings and the afternoons, it's life we live and if we're fortunate (& smart) we live it together with people we love passionately. What else is there? Who needs to write rules? It has nothing to do with "rights" it's what it is...life and love!
anyone lived in a pretty how town
 
by E. E. Cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain