Bitter/Sweet

The bitterness of good chocolate rides low in the back of my throat,
And I'm thinking of the milky-sweet fraud that some people call chocolate,
A concoction of mostly milk and sugar, pale and toothless.
Here in America we leech the bitterness out of our lives,
Leaving them sugary and bloated,
Settling for a whispered imitation of savage brilliance.
Imagine the astringent bite of new green shoots,
A springtime flavor long awaited through the cold -
Or the smoky dark, rich undertow of pure chocolate,
Singing the complexities of a hot, wet, verdant forest.
Bitterness has a talent for reduction and darkness,
And it summons my beast-heart to scent the wind for a hint of change.
America has a taste for mega-super-extra-size and leaving the night light glowing.
I say, close your eyes and dream.

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