Zoe Riell, a 9th grade homeschooler from Poultney, wrote this poem while “thinking about the whimsicality of being in love during the hyperactive and crazy teenage years.”
Confectionary Reminiscence
By Zoe Riell
Grade 9, Homeschool, Poultney
Who knew that love was so tasty?
Do you remember those strawberry hats we made?
I leaned in and whispered (just for you)
A whipped-cream dream;
You told me not to worry my silly shortcake mind.
Whipped cream doesn’t curdle under heat:
All that sugar is good for something, you know.
Do you remember those chocolate-chip chairs we made?
You sat me down
And knelt, ever-so-serious;
You told me that you loved my cookie-dough (for the first time)
There wasn’t enough chocolate in those chairs to make them stable that night:
They collapsed in the place of my knobbly, confection-crusted knees.
Do you remember those ladyfinger locks we made?
We took turns with each other’s hearts,
Tying them down (I couldn’t stop giggling).
It was just a rainy-day-bakery-fun idea – I never thought that…
You said the locks would dissolve in warm water;
They didn’t.
Do you remember those lollipop lips we made?
We took turns practicing kisses (that were meant for each other)
On those sugar-spun chops.
I swore they were unbreakable (but I’m glad they weren’t –
We soon moved on to the real thing instead),
But our ovens were too hot – they melted our creations.
Do you remember those sugared-coconut pillows we made?
On a bed of burnt caramel,
We concocted the perfect heart-to-heat ratio on that lazy licorice afternoon.
(Two candied minds to one moment alone)
White wintergreen beams propped up my spine;
No one ever told me that I love you had such an overpowering taste.
Do you remember those bakery-shop days we made?
You once spread cherry-coated blossoms across my pillow:
“I’ll never spend a day without you,” you said.
(Why did you say it aloud? You jinxed our kitchen)
You and I, we blew up the little shop we owned on that street corner
Trying to craft the ultimate future.