It’s like…
(search the skies)
it’s like
finding the most wonderful chocolate bar. It’s
the raspberry ooze at the heart of the truffle, it’s
the Willy Wonka Golden Ticket to romance, baby,
one way.
Eyes smile at the sight,
nostrils sigh at the scent, every muscle fiber
shouts hallelujah!
and tap-dances in place.
So clutch the bar close to your chest, know
it might melt one day, but that day
is not today. For now
let it be
your savored, secret
(almond) joy.
As soon as you’re alone together,
take a bite. A tiny one!
Don’t ruin your appetite and
no! It’s too good, take it all at once, shove
it in, swallow hard, let it
catch in your throat, let it
coat your vocal chords with sweetness.
You want it now?
You got it now.
But wait,
stop and save the last bite
wrap it up in silver foil and
tuck it away.
* * *
The days pass. And slowly,
the sweetness is forgotten. Slowly,
the Hershey Kiss compliments stop
raining down. Chocolate droplets turn hard, hail,
balled up wrappers pelt bare skin. Small,
but man, do they sting.
And one day, you realize you
can’t move, you’re
buried beneath
a mountain
of
waste.
Who knew whispers in the night had such weight?
Who else could love you? I mean,
Who else could love you? I mean,
Who else could-could-could-could-
STOP!
Too long you’ve said nothing, too long
you’ve swallowed tough love,
choked down your voice,
put permanent teeth marks into your lips.
Just. Stop.
Find the last bit of that wonderful chocolate bar.
It’s still in your pocket.
Dig for it now,
dig ‘til fingernails pull back from flesh, ‘til
your heart pounds behind your eyes, ‘til
your stomach snarls in its den, and the weight of the world takes your
breath away
ahhhh
You find your chocolate and
bring it to your lips
just
to taste the bitter bite of cocoa, a kiss
of sawdust dried up on your tongue.
That
is when you leave. That
is when the falling is done.