The Best Thing

The best thing in life
Without exception
Is chocolate fudge
Down on the boardwalk
Until you’re old enough
To buy some for the girl
You saw on the beach
Or diving through waves
Glistening in the sun
Like a teenaged Aphrodite
Set free from her parents
Set free from islands
Across the pond
The best thing ever
Is to sit with her
On the bench
By that beach
Smiling a goofy smile
She’s just fine with
And your thick glasses
And your shield-size braces
She doesn’t care
She just looks at you
Then the fudge
Then you again
In the sun
In the sun
— by Douglas Pinson