Running a quick errand for mother

Feeling twenty-five cents in my hand

Heading to the nearby little store

Milk, bread—let’s see what candy looks grand

Years ago, two bits meant feeling rich

A few coins equal twenty-five cents

Today, this sweet tooth will be in luck

Let this candy shopping now commence

Below the front counter, treasures wait

Friendly woman cashier stands and smiles

A few pennies for Sweet Tarts and more

Licorice, Smarties add to the pile

Looking to spend one final nickel

Picking through endless, tempting choices

Spying at last, a sweet Hershey bar

Overcome by sugar-filled voices

Arriving back home without delay

Pockets filled with sweetest treasure

Mother asks about the milk and bread

Two bucks unspent, plus her displeasure

Growing up in my childhood neighborhood, there was a little store just a few blocks away.  My brothers and I made many a journey to the store for milk, bread, and other quick-to-find essentials for our mother.  I cannot recall forgetting the milk and bread, but having a few coins in my pocket was treasure waiting to be spent on the candy found there.  

The poem lists a few of the types of candy found back in the 1960s.  Do you have a favorite candy from your childhood?

Originally published July, 2020.