A flight attendant handed me
A packet of gummy bears
—interrupting my very intense and important Torah study—
His impish grin saying,
I know you have a kindred
Child-Spirit
Locked away in that adult shell.
You look like you could use this.

It wouldn’t have been my snack of choice
But oh—when Joe opened the packet
And handed me my first gummy bear—
(Green for watermelon, I think)
I couldn’t resist squishing it
Making it dance on my tray table and
Sing, Hello I’m a bear and I dance on tables.

Each bear had its own voice and flavor
Every bear merited a squish! – and a dance
Just like that, I am six years old again
Delighting in talking animal shapes
Marveling at coastlines and clouds at 10,000 feet
Breathing deeply.

My heart so much lighter than it was
Two hours earlier when I
Ran into neighbors in the airport lounge
Who tried to talk me into
Their political soiree for
A candidate I would never support.

God forbid I come out and say,
I don’t vote Democrat anymore.
Instead, I bite my tongue, smile politely, and change the subject.

With gummy bears, I don’t have to hide.

With gummy bears, I can dance again.