The Chocolate Incident

Jumbled words in my head never fall into place

And these steps I keep on taking, often keep changing pace

Such hurried thoughts in my mind and with despair in my heart

I walked out of my home, hoping for a brighter start

And out there on the street, a little boy

Innocent eyes, innocent smile, could not have been more than ten

Working on a school project, walked with a paper and pen

And on his back a little bag, full of chocolates I believe

As he came hopping down the street

Offering one to me

I smiled and thanked and smiled some more

The sweetest thing in so long

I asked him if I could join him in the task

And maybe tag along?

So off we went onto the street

Giving chocolates to the world

Little sweets, little joys, to every boy and girl

And what I learnt that day my friends, is a little hard to put down

As I was forced to take a closer look at this crazy world around

When my new friend offered sweets to people on that oh-so-busy street

Most of them were forced to look at the kind act, so suspiciously

“Why is he offering me a sweet?” “Oh what does this child want?

Or “Is this just some dirty trick to extract money out of me?”

I saw as my friend went from one person to the next

Offering a chocolate people would have otherwise loved to take

And yet when it came from a stranger, it made them hesitate

That day I saw a bunch of bullies

Take from that little child much more than their share

I saw as a beautiful deed was met with too many a hostile glare

So why is it that though all of us seek goodness

Coming face to face with it we put it through a distrustful lens?

And though we all look out for happiness

Despite having reasons to smile, we choose to look tense?

And that chocolate incident made me wonder

Is this what happens when we grow up

That though we keep searching for it, waiting for it, looking for it

We still choose to react so coldly to love?