Xob of Chocolates

Who put the chocolates in the wrong places?
The caramel-filled piece is supposed to go
in the box’s top right corner,
but it turned out to be hazelnut
when I ate it.

Someone moved all the pieces!
They’re mixed up from the original package!
This is no longer a box of chocolates,
it’s a xob of chocolates.

And someone threw away the paper guide
that tells which chocolate is which,
so I could figure out some of the chocolates
by their shapes.

What if I’m in the mood for a coconut cream,
and I pick up a strawberry cream?
When I bite into it, my plans would be ruined,
my dreams smashed!

This is chaos!
This won’t do!
The chocolates should be a certain way!
We have to straighten this out!
We must have order instead of mayhem!

Without the guide, how could I arrange
the pieces in the correct positions?
It’s an impossible situation!
All hope is lost!

Well, they are tasty chocolates.
I guess this could be an adventure,
not knowing which flavor I pick up next.
Okay, I’ll give it a try.

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Copyright © 2020 Dave Williams. This poem is in my book, The Dancing Fish. And this poem is included in my narration of four poems from that book — click here for the YouTube video.

Gift for an Old Dog

The old dog heaves a hefty sigh
and lays his head down to sleep.
Before dreams of running take him,
he looks at the girl sitting on the sofa,
and he is grateful for her.
The taller man and woman do not
have the excitement they used to for him,
and now look at him as more of a chore.
But the girl still looks at him as a gift,
and this is a gift back to him.

Endless Library

Amid shadows between
sunlight slanting
from tall windows,
I chose a large book,
touristed the vellum pages
for milestones of a life,
as each book—
thin and thick alike—
represented a person
in this endless library.

(with much respect to Jorge Luis Borges)

Royalty’s New Diet

King Vix’s fist slammed
on the banquet table
platters clattered
and the chefs flinched.
The king stood
from the chair
and said to the
cowering chefs,
“You try to tempt us
with these fanciful dishes,
but I told you
the Queen and I
WANT TO START
EATING SALADS!”

A Better Way of Wooing

His jousting at windmills
sadly gave her no thrills:
where he saw angry giants,
she saw wind-power science.
So he took a gastronomy class,
learned to cook with panache,
and with a delectable paella,
Don Quixote wooed the lovely Dulcinea.

Sadness or Something Else

One definition of sadness
could be Roger eating handfuls
of dry store-brand
knock-off Lucky Charms
and gazing out a window
at a rainy Saturday afternoon…

either that,
or he’s contemplating
what kinds of magical creatures
he might encounter
and talk with
if the rain clears
and a rainbow bridge appears
and he opens the window
and crosses the bridge
into another world.

---

copyright © 2021 Dave Williams

Courage and Flowers

At first,
he tried awkward flirting
with the cute clerk
at the bookstore,
then
he summoned
the courage to bring
a bouquet of flowers
and ask her to dinner,
then
she said
she had a boyfriend
but was flattered
that he asked,
so he went home
and wrote poetry
about unrequited love,
then
he went back
to scrolling through
profiles on the
dating website.

Prowling Around

On the prowl
with a scowl.

Once I find
who stole
my eyeglasses,
I will howl.

‘Tis burglary
most foul.

---

copyright © 2021 Dave Williams

Pick the Aspic?

If this restaurant carries it,
I might pick
the aspic.
Don’t look sick—
it’s not a trick,
or a nasty deer tick.
And it’s not soup or stew
or a regrettable tattoo.
It’s aspic,
and if you have the choice among the menu picks,
then you and your friend from New Brunswick
may just pick the aspic.
But be careful its gelatinous trembling
doesn’t make you seasick.

---

Copyright © 2020 Dave Williams. This poem is in my book, The Dancing Fish.

Vocabulary of Love

“I speak the vocabulary
of love, baby,” he purred.

The orange rolled her eyes.
Another fast apple trying
to get a taste of her juice.

“Not today, pal,” she said.

He twirled his stem, said,
“How ‘bout tomorrow?”

“How ‘bout never.”
She rolled away,
down the sidewalk.