Glass Jars
It is Halloween
kids be darned
candy treats
I have always adored Halloween, especially the candy.
Those glass jars
each filled with loose goodies
cinnamon balls,
smarties, Jujubes,
Swedish fish, *Goetze’s - yum yum,
root beer barrels (Maeve's favorite),
Reeces miniature peanut butter cups,
licorice squares...
they all look back at me through the glass
like cats and dogs at an animal shelter -
"adopt me, take me home with you
they all shout out".
My saliva flows,
my heart races,
my tongue swells,
my stomach growls
I break out in a sweat
every time I enter the Jericho Country Store
and face those glass jars
not set inconspicuously at all
those sweet devils know how to tempt us.
All year long I save my pennies, my nickels,
and any francs, pesos, and Danish Krone I come across.
When the day before Halloween finally arrives
all the wee little ones, all the kids watch in awe
as I fill the scoop
from the first jar, then the second, the third,
down the line,
then move up to the next row of jars
finally ending with the third row.
A paper bag of bounty
a pirate would risk the noose or the plank for -
is placed on the scale.
Anything under a pound is hardly worth the effort.
A canvas sack of coins spills across the counter
worthless metal for tantalizing flavored sugar.
My eyes never leave the paper bag now doubled
to hold the weight.
Giddy am I as I nearly fly home
past witches and goblins
pumpkins and lanterns
all the faux Halloween stuff
can't compare to penny candy
even at twelve dollars a pound.
Tis only the day before Halloween
only one of each is allowed
or risk a witch spell
of braces locking one's jaw closed.
Come Halloween
two red cinnamon (eye) balls peer over the top of the jar
Jujubes and Swedish fish swim around and around the jar
Red Vines sit at their school desk with Smarties at the teacher's desk
Goetze's caramel cream cow tails swish about
Bit o Honey stays in a corner away from the other sugar guys.
The whole jar rattles
red, green, yellow, brown, white,
colors mix
flavors flow
I can barely contain myself
the cover loosens
ever so slowly
carefully I open
reach in
candies fight to get close
swim in between my fingers
melt into my pores
as I pull out a handful
savoring one after the other.
How can I make them last
all of Halloween Day?
Already one-third of the jar
is diminished
and
it
is
only
a
half hour
into
breakfast
time.
Nicely done!
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