The new bride stood beside the sea
She gazed down at the sand.
A virgin clad in white, she held
The future in her hand.
I fixed my tripod, camera, too.
The image was well-planned.
A wind-blown beauty facing east
The future in her hand.
I snapped the shot, she turned toward me
Her glow of love it spanned
All doubts she might have had about
The future in her hand.
One more, she cried, against the wind.
The sky turned black from bland.
Waves crashed on shore and bore away
The future in her hand.
I tossed my camera to the ground
Raced o’er the sandy land.
Jumped in the sea and tried to save
The future in her hand.
I held her tight, we both went down
Gale too strong to withstand.
The girl in white was my new wife.
The present closed our hand.
(Written for dVerse Poets, FormForAll–Ballads. September 19, 2013.)
vb's reverbs 
Love the use of a refrain in your ballad – and the chilling climax. Very often these poems do end up in tragedy.
Oh, this is a wonderful ballad. And so very sad. I loved the repetition of the last line, and the last stanza was a heart-breaker.
oh heck….intense emotions and a tragic close… i like the images..they go so well with the melancholic ballad feel
A real tragic chilling end, and so well written on the form.. Can hear this being sung to a melancholy tune.
I liked the use of the refrain here, as well.
Sad but beautifully written ~ I like the refraining last line – The future in her hand.
Rhyming pattern is excellent ~ Thanks for the lovely ballad ~
Definitely a chilling end and I felt the chill on my shoulders. I can hear this being sung too and excellent use of the refrain.
Anna :o]
Yes, this definitely has a quality that would lend itself to a song. A beaitifully chilling piece.
Yikes! This has the authentic ballad feel ranging from La Belle Dame Sans Merci to Clementine (and her herring box shoes). Super well done. Thanks thanks thanks. k.
Terrific ballad! I absolutely agree with ManicDaily
Enjoyed this very much!
smiles…i like how trying to save the future the present closed your hand…cool way to tell a love story…
Always get divorced before the storm is the lesson learned I hope.
Going from the future in her hand to the present in our hand was perfect.Poignant ballad.