Each Valentine’s Day,
every kid’s temptation was
the sweet convections of
powdery sugar candy
with the see-through heart
on the box front.

We’d shake and turn the boxes
peeking through the cellophane,
checking out the messages
impressed into the heart shapes
before choosing our purchase.

Then, in hushed whispers, we’d pick
the one we thought would send
our secret Valentine into a heart spin and
slip it inside a paper Valentine picked
just for them, hoping they felt the same.