One Last Time (Ghazal) Poem by Ben Gieske

I can’t remember when our tongues first tasted yummy sugar.
I still recall our buttered bread sprinkled over with sugar.

Saturdays were the days we caught the whiffs of coffee cakes baking.
Sundays were the days we ate up all of Mom’s cakes of cinnamon sugar.

We feasted on smooth-white cones and sugar sweet-colored ice-balls.
Children’s delights on hot summer days, the blessings of sugar.

In my teenage years my face was splotched with ugly, acne pimples.
With decision I ate my cereal one last time with sugar.

When I was of age to sip my first cup of coffee,
Ugh, no! And I learned to substitute milk for sugar.

On every table salt and pepper make a married pair.
But on my table they are divorced from the bowl of sugar.

Even making lemonade I prefer pure lemon over sugar
And over the years my use of salt has gone the way of sugar.

Published online in the June issue of LYNX. Go to:
http: //www.ahapoetry.com/ahalynx/242solo.html