Me and Neil received this poem on the 9th Jan 2022 from my dear late-friend and poet Damian Robin.

Me and Neil were married 20th Dec, 2003.

Damian knew we had met in Singapore in May, 1996, hence his advance congratulation message for 30 years!.

We have now officially been together 30 years and so, in celebration, I am sharing this wonderful poem.

Congrats, Congrats

An Epithalamion

to Rebecca and Neil on their 30th Wedding Anniversary

“Congrats, Congrats
An Epithalamion
to Rebecca and Neil on their 30th Wedding Anniversary

Congrats, Congrats
And this-and-thats
With thirty Fat Penguins
waddling in spats,

Congrats, Congrats
And flinging up hats
Up high in the high
Then down by and by
Like tired tumbling night
acro-bats

Congrats, Congrats
For keeping on seats
Armed with big popcorn and
piled stick eats
Strawed drink cups and ice
cream expecting high treats
And you’re there in the film
In the story arc’s lift
In the music’s great gift
And you glide with its drift
But bits
Of the film go to awkward
repeats
Go do auto repeats
Like gorgeous teams of bright parakeets
Or dancing lambs
in collaborating bleats
Doing complicated elaborate formation feats
That somehow don’t meet
And your arm-in-armed hearts
miss a beat
But still
You land on your feet

Congrats, Congrats
And cutting to chases
And touching all bases
Your calm time together
Through inclement weather
Or wrestling on mats
Feeling like rats
Repeating old spats
Rough arguments’ adjustments
to cuddles and pats
Congratulations whatever the stats

Congrats, Congrats, Congrats, Congrats, Congrats
Thirty years . . . that’s
Really quite long
And puts you among
The mostly unsung
Waltzing dancing attractive entrancing
Established up-standing
Wholesome and awesome
Long-standing throng of
. . . Love’s aristocrats

Congrats ”

— Damian Robin 9th January, 2022

N O T E S
Epithalamion
Originally, an epithalamion was a lyric poem in praise of Hymen, the Greek god of marriage.
It can be used to bless a wedding and may be read at the ceremony or reception.
To use it as an anniversary gift is in the spirit of the original, I think.
- Damian Robin