Candy Shop - Day 14

 Necco Wafers

How neat the brittle past stacks up, and quick:

a blur of bid and ante as we wait,

stone-faced, each for the same queen, superstate

of win and bust. The deck's already picked

the losers. We'll know soon. The pot is thick

with flavors conquest learned. The old debate

folded before it had to show. If great

is how we were, why didn't it stick?

They shut down idle factories all the time--

Hearts are for words and wallets are for facts.

The new lime tasted much too much like lime

to sell. Admit we used to see through wax,

darkly, and nothing at the five-and-dime

was five or ten cents, if you count the tax.