Le Pâtissier
Portentous meeting on candy cane lane
His hair is blown sugar
His laugh gingersnaps
His eyes glinting, plastic black bubble-gum
Sweet sugar-filled words
Simmer on the cooktop
Crack, snap, pop
As they melt against your ears
Dripping caramel into your heart
It couldn’t hurt to visit his home
A candied kingdom of confection
He promises wine gums, waffles, and wafer cakes
It couldn’t hurt to quickly stop by, after all
He has a dog
And you know dogs are
Gentle and soft as melting marshmallows
Joyous and playful as Pop Rocks
Kind and simple as snickerdoodles, so
Proffered hand is taken with surety
Confident in syrupy safety and security
Led back to king candy’s gingerbread house
Along the crimson gumdrop road
Dark chocolate front door dragged open
Honeyed coat and elderberry eyes
She bounds forward to welcome you
Excitement brownie batter bubbling over
Beneath your breath, a small whisper of relief
Lord liquorish does keep a canine retainer
Fear crushed to shortbread crumbs
As you run fingers through her crème brûlée coat
Follow his lead to cupcake couch
It sags beneath you
Enveloping in cream crêpe’s folds
He speaks to you of strawberry sorbet
Feeds you cherry cheesecake from a chocolate spoon
Cooks you lemon nougat long into the night
But it’s getting late and you’re getting tired
Eyes drooping like date pudding
You stand to leave and he asks you to stay another hour
Just until the rum cake rises
But something feels wrong
Sweet sugar-filled words sing from his lips
But something smells burnt
And you realize
It’s the caramel simmering on the cooktop
Smouldering
You insist you need to leave
Gingerbread house crumbling around you and
Turn to find your cotton candy coat and
He cuts into you
Slicing a serving of pumpkin pie from your flesh
Your screams are drowned in maple mousse with candied pecans
Your raspberry blood ices cake-kitchen floor slates
Your tears run, sugar water drizzled onto ripe plums and blackberries
Drowning in the saccharine
Thoughts only of how bitter sugar can be
Honey streaks in the corner of your eye
Her tail is wagging
You remember then
As your final breath leaves you
Alone on the fruit cake floor
As your gaze glazes over
Butter, sugar, milk, vanilla painted onto warm doughnuts
You remember then,
He has a dog
But that wasn’t enough to keep you safe
395 words - April 2021