The ragged
paper wrapper
Dejectedly resting
in my hand
Once embraced
In a
protective shield
A diminutive
cake
Delicious and
inviting
This wrapper
That I hold
a little too long
Carried the
contents
From batter
to bake
Caressed and
carried
In a meaningful
shared experience
I hold this
wrapper
Gently in my
cupping grasp
Waiting for
that moment
When other
eyes are distracted
When I invert
the wrapper
Inside out
Greedily and
stealthily
Popping it
in my mouth
I chew the
wrapper
Squeezing the
last sweet essence
The delectable
remnants
Of a once
present cupcake
That now is
no longer
My eyelids
have wandered shut
As I savor and
indulge
But I can
sense other eyes
I was not as
careful as I thought
The wrapper
sits motionless
Mid chew
As I flounder
for an explanation
She speaks
first
In a
conspiratorial whisper
“I’m glad to see
I’m not the only
one”
She says
with a smile
Revealing in
her light clutch
An inverted
wrapper of her own
Joyfully she
joins
In the sweet
ritual
