Chocolate-Coated Somethings
by Jennifer Hunt, from the archives
Yesterday I received a box
Of twenty-four chocolate-coated
Somethings.
I am one third of the way
Through the somethings.
I have eaten three completely,
Given five away,
Squished the bottoms in
On eight others
Only to put them back in the box,
And forced my husband
To eat the one I nibbled
Only to discover it was
Coconut.
There are newly-poked parts of me
I want to put back
In that chocolate box.
I’ve always preferred
The kind with lids
That give away the insides.
You can pick the ones you like
And leave the rest.
Who has the lid
To me?
__
The New Spirit-Freed, Jelly Beaned Me
(Jen's long overdue Sequel to "Chocolate-Coated Somethings" that was written in seminary)
Today I bought
One thousand fifteen
Multi-colored
Jelly beans
Lime and tangerine
Flecked and swirled
And I can see what color I’m getting
From the get-go
Watch them fall down the clear plastic chute
Into the zip-lock
I’ve poised
At its mouth
They are mine to name
Mine to taste
Or mine to give away
As I see fit
I can eat one today
Two tomorrow
Or five any time in-between
I can choose like colors
Or contrasting ones
Guess the flavor
Or scan the menu
Make strawberry daiquiri
Or blueberry pie
Or stack them
‘Til they touch
The sky
Yes, sometimes
I may confuse
Chocolate for Root Beer
Licorice for Berry or
Find Harry Potter Puke
Whether I’d prefer to or not
But the choice is mine
And the sense is divine
Of tasting and seeing
The guts on my tongue
And naming and
Choosing
Each and every
One
You say you have the
Solemn and certified
Authorized, petrified
Canonized
Lid to me?
I once thought you did too--
Now, though, I say I’m
Cear through that sad
Box of chocolate-covered somethings
And into a Spirit-freed
Jelly-beaned pouch
Of flavors too varied,
Too honest
To count
I still nibble halves
And leave coconut for last
But now
I’ve found
Me
Through choices I make--
No matter the flavor
Being me is just great
* * *
"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!" Psalm 34:8a
"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139:7-10
"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10
