Sweet as Candy: A Novel in Verse

Detour

“What do you want?”

Levi parks in a Culpepper’s employee parking space

As he asks me this question.

“Anything sweet,” I reply.

“You have no idea how much I need some candy right now.”

“Got it.”

He opens the driver door and steps out.

When I attempt to follow him

He shakes his head.

“Just stay here,” he says.

“I’ll be right back.”

Though I know that I’m fully capable of walking

I nod

And close my door.

He walks through the automatic doors

Only to return five minutes later

With several bags full of food

And two Styrofoam cups.

He hops into the car

And hands me one of the cups.

“Cherry Coke,” he says.

He drops one of the plastic bags into my lap.

“And almost every kind of candy they had.”

In spite of the day I’ve had so far

I can’t help but smile

As I look into the bag

To find Rasinets, SweeTarts

SnoCaps and Skittles.

It’s hard not to wonder where Levi had come from

As he dug into his own box of Dots.

First

He picked me, a near stranger, up from the local abortion clinic

Then

He drove to his workplace on one of his days off

And spent his hard earned money

To buy me just about every box of candy in the store.

Either he’s really desperate to snag a date

Or he’s just that much of a saint.

Considering where my history with the opposite *** has gotten me

I choose to believe the latter.

Either way

It’s clear that I’m lucky to have him

As he puts his candy to the side

And glances over to me.

“Are you ready to go home yet?”

I think about this

As I pop another morsel into my mouth.

Finally, I nod.

“I should be.”