Cotton Candy and Lemon Drops

I like cotton candy 'cause it melts in my mouth as I eat it.

It is sweet,
yet not so sweet that it overshadows my senses.
It just adds to the whole experience.

Your closeness,
a sweet, melting sensation
just like cotton candy.
Remembered visions have me kneeling
by the edge of my bed.
A traceable scent on the brink of my mind
finds me, invades me,
permeates my prayers.

Now I lay me down to sleep

Did you know that is why I always
sneaked into your purse?
I'd search through the sweet and soured depths,
finding inside pockets,
bright lipstick, Cotton Candy Pink #5.
To paint that smile on my own young mouth
and hear you say,
"What a beautiful smile!"
And then you'd let me look for candy....

I don't like lemon drops 'cause I don't like the flavor.

They just don't appeal to me.
Maybe it is because they are sour.
It's a matter of taste.
I prefer watermelon.

That one day when I found the lemon drops,
I thought I'd struck gold, until I choked on one.
Grandma put her arm around me and
told me we'd be living at her place for awhile.

I now know why they dip lemon drops in sugar.

Momma? I miss you.
I wish my hands could paint pictures of the sky
when I see your face in a pink-cloud sunset.
I think I own every tube of Cotton Candy Pink # 5
and still listen for your voice when I wear it.
And I still carry your purse because, once in awhile,
I like to take a lemon drop out and suck the sugar off.

from Cotton Candy and Lemon Drops 2001