Bubble gum is unique
She’s soft and chewy
A gleam of pink
Or purple
Or blue
She could be which or whatever you choose
You grab a pink container
Your hunger tells you It’s a no-brainer.
As you read the contents, a bright,
Colorful label project into your eyes
Running your finger over the rough lettering
You think of how many other eyes
How many other feet
How many other sighs
Have stood where you stand
Looked at what you’ve seen
Felt how you’ve felt
Besides you, a stranger
Who expressed little to no danger
A wonder of
“I think I’ve tried this type of gum before”
How a simple
“Oh me too”
Has arms, a harmless reach,
where I once saw it as an armless cactus
I feel warm, for I was not judged
You walk up to the counter
As a sweet old man smiles
A crinkle in his eye
A flash of his teeth
Aged, he’s known this world for longer than you
You admire him
I wonder how much of this bubblegum he’s had
In his dire years
In the candy shop on 2nd street
Bubblegum is unique
How it can bring you back
To a life, you can see
which may not even be yours
The bubblegum guarantees.
I am forever in debt
to that bubblegum
for I met the love of my life
in that little candy store
on 2nd Street.