Chocolate Mint Milkshakes
don’t nourish bodies much, but
they sure can cause a soul to shine.
It’s natural to treat cuts and scrapes
with aloe and band-aids of funny shapes,
kiss it and wish it “all better.”
Yet those dark seasons come and
whisper “despair”; over here, over there,
pouring salt in wounds no one sees.
One of life’s cruelest tricks
leaves us broken and sick
no package to buy for our healing.
Soon it is June, the perfect time
to smell soft summer air drifting—
stringing hope like bright rays of sun.
In winter’s absence, grass grows
in shades of green; minty delights
meant to be tasted.
written for Sunday Whirl and Monday Melting; linked to dverse poets Open Link Night
New View From Here 
I could taste it — my kids call it toothpaste ice cream 🙂
lol…toothpaste ice cream….I love that….for all the frustration they can bring, they sure are a bundle of laughter and creativity!
Especially in our house. 🙂
Chocolate and mint: my two favorite flavors and my oh my how my grand kids love it!. I find that it sure can bring on the smiles and must be good for the soul as well. Great post.
Joy
Thanks Joy….that is definitely a winning combination! Everytime I taste it, it seems to bring a smile to my soul for sure!
I’ve often wondered what Ice-Cream tastes like.. 🙂
Well it’s time for you to find out!
Always a “treat” to hear from you…hope you’re having a great day! 🙂
I’d love to but I’m lactose intolerant!
Sorbet all the way for me! it’s awesome!
Favourite flavour..PASSIONFRUIT! 😀
Hope you are having a great day tooo! 🙂
Sorbet is pretty awesome! If you ever make it to the deep south, my wife and I can hook you up with as much “shaved ice” as you can handle…it’s one of my other favorite cool treats!
awww…thanks!
I’ll hold you to that! 😛
I am already riding that natural eye with the beginnings of spring, and already dreaming of summers taste of loveliness…i really felt the words of your heart within!
What a wonderful compliment for this poem. Look forward to visiting your blog soon….haven’t been online much the last few days, but I’ll get caught up!
eye should be “high” see how your poem moved me!
very nice….Can I have chocolate syrup with mine? ;o)
No doubt! Extra chocolate syrup coming right up!
excellent! and let me have that ice cream!!!!!!
lol…awesome comment…thanks!
I like the gamut of thoughts and feelings your poem makes us run here, circling back to the good that can had if we will just accept it. My fave line was ‘…stringing hope like bright rays of sun….”
Thanks hedge….that was my fave line to write so I’m glad you found it worthwhile 🙂
I love the sound in this, so much alliteration and gentle rhyme. It has been a pleasure to read (and savor) several times over. 🙂
I LOVE mint chocolate chip ice cream.
This is probably my favorite line: kiss it and wish it “all better.” Love the sound.
no package to buy for our healing … This reminds me of how you locals call a liquor store a package store around here. I had never heard that term until meeting you.
Lots of hope expressed here; depression and despair are only seasons, always followed by springtime renewal and growth.
I agree with your comment. I secretly even put meanings on some words. I think they convey another thing.
Sometimes they do even if they don’t. That’s the fun of poetry. You get to add your own meaning.
As always thank you for your thoughtful analysis…I’m honored you take the time to do so.
It’s really interesting what you point out about the “package” store. So often, that is the “package” that is turned to in order to “heal” the unseen wounds, and most often, it only creates greater pain. I love that you made that comparison; it immediately gave the line greater weight for me.
I’m also glad that the hope is so obvious in your reading of the poem…your last comment is exactly what I hoped to convey in this piece.
Wait, are we talking about a package, a “package,” or a package? 🙂
lol…see how you always find ALL the layers to a poem…it really is a gift of yours!
Ha! Yeah, but I find layers that aren’t even really there. I don’t know if that’s good or just plain silly. 🙂
Often it’s good, but in these examples it is definitely silly…and good for a smile 🙂
there is def hope that comes with the change of the season…both in nature and in life…and a little milkshake never hurt the mood you know…smiles.
Never hurts the mood for sure! Wish the same could be said for waist-lines & arteries!
I’m loving….but they sure can cause a soul to shine. Well said!
lol…thanks Brenda!
Beautifully thoughtful poetry, a take on the seasons and living in the now, enjoying it. And yes, I love mint choc chip too! Why do the most tasty things often turn out to be ‘bad for us’? We must enjoy our lives, ultimately, which is what, I believe, you are saying.
Always appreciate your comments…and, yes, the goal is to enjoy life in spite of all the dark seasons we will face…
That’s my kind of green to graze. I enjoyed this.
lol…what a witty comment! great seeing you here!
I can smell……… I can taste, hmmmm, mint choc chip ice cream. Now see what you did? I liked the full circle of the piece, whenever all else fails, we still have hope.
I hope to find a mint choc chip ice cream in the bowels of the freezer now 😉
Good luck in your search for ice cream!….much hope in the idea of ice cream waiting in the freezer! 🙂
Hey Tino…tried to visit your blog, but the link appears to be broken. Let me know how to find you.
I don’t usually eat ice cream. I like this:
Yet those dark seasons come and
whisper “despair”; over here, over there,
pouring salt in wounds no one sees.
One of life’s cruelest tricks
leaves us broken and sick
no package to buy for our healing.
It reminds me of my marriage. Forgive me, I am just a heart broken one. Shalom!
😦
I’m sure you have found a suitable substitution for ice cream.
I highly recommend “shaved ice” as the most suitable substitute available. I make a pretty mean magarita mix that I’ll be happy to share!
Oh great, now I’m craving one. 🙂
me too…it’s getting to be that time of the year….I think we’ll begin the daily tradition again very, very soon!
Sweet Daddy. That would be awesome. 🙂
VE12,
“Shalom” is one of my favorite words. Living in the South, I’ll sometimes hear somebody utter “Shalom y’all” 🙂
I’m so glad this resonated with you and you were able to find even deeper meanings with the words. And please don’t apologize about your honesty…it’s highly encouraged around here. I think many of us have known those “dark seasons” and appreciate the opportunity to just vent and be heard. One of the many blessings found in writing/commenting/blogging.
Very appreciative of your visit and comments!
Yeah, I was gonna say something about the grass, but I refrained. 🙂
Oh, man…there you go finding more layers…lol…that didn’t even cross my mind, but it does remind me of the sod farmers I once knew who would get VERY upset anytime someone called them grass farmers! Sometimes I would “accidentally” call them that just to get a reaction 🙂
A big NO to that. I won’t need to find any substitution for ice cream. LOL
Mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes like summer to me. I love this!
Thank you K.S…..summer is delicious!
No good for my diet, dude. 😉
Well at least I’m not the only one commenting here that likes ice cream!!! 🙂
As always, great to see you here!
You picked my top favorite too. Good to be here. 🙂
She prefers carob.
Lol, if only that were true. Dark chocolate, girlfriend. The darker the better. Carob is better these days than when I was little though. Like diet drinks, its improved. 😉
Very nice write, and the depth extracted from the subject matter is really rather awesome.
And confession time. I don’t like ice cream. At all. Tried it, but it just doesn’t go.
That’s just crazy talk.
I am amazed by the number of people confessing their dislike of ice cream….boggles my mind 🙂
Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful for your compliments on the poem….always great to see you here and read your comments!
Damn good writing. I didn’t even notice that these words came from the wordle.
Pamela
You are much too kind 🙂 I’m grateful for your words…
The “wordle” and other prompts have been much fun for sure. Look forward to reading more of your poetry today!
chocolate and mint – yum! I like the natural way your poem makes a family of the words…
Yet those dark seasons come and
whisper “despair”; over here, over there,
pouring salt in wounds no one sees.
hmm, not sure why that is speaking to me today.
Thank you so much. I was blown away by your poem for the “melting” this week.
Me too!
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is my Favorite ❤
I am glad you took the time to browse & comment my blog. Your blog is actually quite awesome, pretty interesting just like Chris`s lol
Thanks 🙂 Any comparison to Chris is a-ok by me…that guy cracks me up! Interesting for sure! 🙂
I am actually quite humbled that you two are both examples of people who have a high volume audience on your blogs & you actually took the time to like at my insignificant page lol
I think your page is great…Your layout is very unique, and I can tell you put a lot of thought into your posts! I’m especially impressed now that I know your motivation to start your blog 🙂 I think it’s incredible that you just decided you wouldn’t be stifled and went out to “find your own voice” with your own space!
Thank you very much !! && I love that, to find my own voice, with my own space ! 🙂
This blogging thing is quite a new experience for me, at first I was quite baffled as to how to get started but I am easing into the process & I love it!
Nothing quite like an indulgence to help ward off despair. 🙂 Personally I’m quite happy with Kraft macaroni and cheese! Weird, I know. 🙂
Rach.