Candy Canes

Candy Canes
By Bobbi Rightmyer

Red and white swirls
shaped like a shepherd’s crook,
is this an obvious reference to
the shepherds tending their flock by night?
But when you invert this classic shape
what to my wondering eyes should I see,
just the letter “J”, a simple J
maybe to remind us of the Christ child, Jesus.
Pure white color, the exact shade of snow
or does it signify the virgin birth
purity proclaimed from on high.
And what of the red,
just another jolly color of the season,
or the blood of Christ for all to see?
Peppermint flavor with a hint of a bite,
or the occasional cinnamon taste as a change of pace,
are these just the spices used today
to replace the frankincense and myrrh of old?
And the sugar is sweet and oh so addicting
whether eaten alone or stirred in a cup of cocoa,
maybe this is a sign that God’s words are addicting
and offering an love everlasting.