Let's search for money! <br />Couch cushions... <br />laundry room... <br />junk drawers... <br />LOOK EVERYWHERE! <br /> <br />Between the five of us kids <br />we found about 12 cents. <br />No food in the house. <br />Buy dinner with 12 cents? <br />We have to. <br /> <br />Aha! Penny Candy! <br />Yeah, we can buy 12 <br />and split them. <br />GENIUS! <br /> <br />Back then the fruit flavored tootsie rolls <br />were only a penny (thank God) . <br />We bundled up, since it was wintertime <br />in Michigan <br />and walked to the candy store. <br />We didn't eat them until we were back home. <br />That way we could just sit and savor our meal. <br />That was the most delicious candy <br />I had ever tasted. <br /> <br />I didn't chew them as they're meant to be eaten. <br />I just placed it in my mouth <br />and let it melt <br />as slowly as possible. <br />No talking... <br />I didn't want to waste a second of <br />this pleasure. <br />When SHE returns from the bar <br />she'll wonder (or maybe she won't) <br />if we ate. <br />I'm not telling her we ate candy for dinner. <br /> <br />25 years later, I went to visit HER. <br />Trying to move on <br />forget the past (it's for the best) . <br />As soon as I walk into her house... <br />sitting on the dining room table <br />is a punchbowl filled <br />with fruit flavored tootsie rolls. <br /> <br />I didn't mention our ''meal'' <br />25 years earlier. <br />I wondered if she knew <br />and this was some cruel joke <br />to have such a huge bowl <br />filled with just the thing that would trigger <br />so many emotions.<br /><br />Mary Nagy<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/penny-candies/
