From Heaven to Hell
Pixie Stix, the magic of childhood
Smell and taste intertwined - the strongest senses,
memory recalled – can return at any time
~
Tastes from the past burst forth
good and bad,
chocolate to cough syrup.
Some taste buds, however, once died
from my having a brother.
~
Five years old I was,
a crisp NY Halloween in the air.
My favorite Pixie Stix nearly mine,
tubes of radiant fruit-flavored bliss.
~
The ritual trading of candy between my brother and me over,
I carefully opened all the pastel-striped straws of Pixie Stix
pouring them into a small white bowl.
that glorious bowl would last
the next few glorious autumn mornings
~
My brother - evil incarnate –
defiled my sugary aspirations.
Seven years older than I
and too old to go trick-or-treating.
I was his convenient dupe that day.
~
After playing outside
I headed back in the kitchen
and reached for the beautiful bowl.
my brother watched me from across the kitchen table -
a hideous scarecrow with black eyes,
and I downed the delicious dust
~
Suddenly, my eyes began to tear
my mouth was on fire,
I felt like throwing up.
I cried as my eyes swelled shut with pain,
my nose squinched up in a perpetual sneeze.
My brother’s laughter knocked him off the kitchen chair
… but ….
he was immediately dispatched to his room,
our mother discovering the sordid truth
~
Demon brother had eaten most of my beloved candy powder
and then
as any demon was wont to do,
replaced it with pure black pepper
replacing a layer of Pixie
to hide the fire-spice.
~
To this day, I believe he is still there in his dungeon,
withering away half a century later,
without remorse and laughing at my tears.
About the Creator
Barb Dukeman
After 32 years of teaching high school English, I've started writing again and loving every minute of it. I enjoy bringing ideas to life and the concept of leaving behind a legacy.
Comments (2)
Dana's comment made me roll on the floor, laughing! But, seriously, is it too late for a good spanking?
Oh, now that's much more than wrong! I remember Pixie Stix very well - the originl cheap high. lol