.

Cookies

I bought a bag of cookies for a snack,
But they were way too sweet… I took them back.
I tried each one to make sure this was true.
I really didn’t know what else to do.

The woman in the store was not too kind.
She told me that I must have lost my mind.
She said, “You can’t return them when they’re bitten”.
I said, “I don’t believe those rules were written”.

I asked to see the manager at once,
Hoping for a generous response.
The cashier strode away and gave a “Huff!”
As if to say she’d really had enough.

The manager approached and shook my hand.
I felt for sure that he would understand.
I told him that his baker was a rookie,
That there was too much sugar in the cookie.

The manager just smiled and said okay,
And gave me back my money right away.
There’s still the problem when I need a treat,
Of…why do cookies have to be so sweet?

.

.

Sweet

I like a bit of dessert now and then,
The cravings seem to hit now and again.
So right off to the bakery I trot,
To stuff my face with something I should not.

But as the years go by it seems to me,
The quantities of sugar guarantee,
That I’ll get hooked by sugar to the brain,
Cause sugar’s as addictive as cocaine.

They know we can’t resist although we try.
Those cravings may persist until we die.
We know that we can only blame ourselves,
If only we could shun the sugar-shelves.

While year-by-year in various disguises …
The sugar content in the goodies rises!

.

.

Norma Pain was born in Liverpool, England and now lives in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada. Thirty of Norma’s poems were published by Dana Literary Society, between 2004 and 2007 and she was twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize by that same on-line poetry site. She self-published a book of rhyme in 2000 called Bulging Assets.


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22 Responses

  1. Yael

    Norma I feel your pain and I can totally relate to your sweet tales, as I sit here reading and eating a piece of dark chocolate. I find both your poems very sweet and entertaining, thank you for brightening up my morning.

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you for commenting Yael. I am happy to have brightened up your morning. I am with you regarding dark chocolate. I just love it. Unfortunately it doesn’t love me… think sleepless nights, but sometimes it’s just worth it for the delicious taste.

      Reply
    • Norma Pain

      I looked up baklava and it looks really tasty. I might just have to try it one day. Thank you C.B.

      Reply
  2. Paul Freeman

    This reminds me why I cut out as much chocolate as I can from my diet.

    Thanks for the read, Norma.

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      To cut out all treats is not an easy task, with visions of sugar-plums everywhere we look. Thank you Paul and stay strong.

      Reply
  3. Paul Buchheit

    Sweet poetic thoughts, Norma! You must have taken the cookies back to Costco….they take everything! 😉

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      That is true about Costco and their return policy. Their Christmas selections are so tempting and must be avoided at all cost. I didn’t actually return the cookies to the grocery store but I did leave a copy of my poem on top of the dessert display!

      Reply
  4. Roy Eugene Peterson

    Norma, I believe I told you before that your sense of humor mirrors mine. I love these sweet poems that my mind devoured!

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Poetry is food for thought. Thank you Roy for your much appreciated comments.

      Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you so much for your comment Mark. So glad you liked my bit of sweetness.

      Reply
  5. Patricia Allred

    Such delightful work, Norma…. Thank you.
    I live across the pond, in soggy, California.
    To find a bakery is nigh impossible anymore. Alas!

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you so much for commenting Patricia. Vancouver has been pretty rainy lately but nowhere near as much rain as you have been having. Perhaps not having a bakery handy is a blessing!

      Reply
  6. Anna J. Arredondo

    Norma,
    Thanks for these two sweet reads. I got a kick out of you leaving a copy of your poem on the dessert display. I never thought of doing something like that!

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you Anna, although I don’t suppose leaving my poem there will make an iota of difference since the whole point of sugar-laden foodstuff, is to have people buy more of it. Money, money, money! Then again, perhaps I’m just too cynical.

      Reply
  7. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Norma, I just love your delicious serving of sweet in a world turned sour. These melodious poems are chock full of fun – a much-needed sugar-high which I will return to feast on in times of trouble. Thank you for my ear-to-ear grin!

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you Susan. We all need a little bit of sweet now and again. Of course, all in moderation if possible!

      Reply

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