I popped saltwater taffy into my mouth as I spoke, which was probably a bad idea, considering what I was going to ask. "Want to go out to ice cream?" I inquired. "The weather's nice enough."

He glares at me. "No. They don't have honey-flavored ice cream anymore, so it's pointless. That's the only flavor I liked."

I chew on another piece of taffy thoughtfully. "We could take a walk on the beach," I suggested.

That made him scowl. "You know what? How about we just sit here, and do nothing? Yep, that's what I want to do. So you can go do whatever you want, but I'm staying here."

"You're boring," I complained.

"Pretty much," he yawned. "I'm old and weathered. You go do your thing; I'll be fine here."

"You, my friend, are coming with me," I ordered. "Besides, you are only seventeen."

He lay back in his chair so his copper hair glinted in the sunlight. "No, I'm not," he replied lazily. "You can't make me."

It was my turn to glare, and I started sucking on an orange-flavored piece of taffy. I grabbed his arm, and squeezed it so hard that he winced. "Come ON, lazy bones," I said half-teasingly. "Please? Just for an hour or two."

"Or three, or four, or sixteen," he muttered, but got up. "You're really convincing, you know."

I grinned. "I can be, if I want to. I'll meet you outside." I raced out the door and punched my fist into the air once I was alone. The grin hadn't left my face.

Pretty soon, out he came, wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and a scowl.

"Cheer up!" I exclaimed, lightly punching his arm.

Pearly sweat dripped down his face. "I'm cheered," he said, rubbing the spot where I punched him.

I frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I--I, um--well, it's this thing-" He broke off. "It's a fear. But it's dumb. So we're going to move on."

"I won't tease you," I promised.

"Uh, yeah, I know," he said. "It's just--let's leave it alone, okay?"

"Okay," I sighed. "So, ice cream? Or beach?"

"I don't know," he grumbled. "Beach, I guess."

"Beach it is!" I yelled, running into our car and starting it. Our car was bright yellow (my idea) that never got dirty. Well, okay, that's a lie. But when it DID get dirty, I made sure that we washed it off. I was kind of scared of my stuff being dirty. My brother, on the other hand, didn't care if our stuff was filthy, so I had to clean up after him.

I tried to get the wheel, but my brother out his hand on top of where mine was. "Oh, no," he said. "I drive."

"You are only seventeen," I reminded him grumpily.

"You aren't even sixteen yet," he told me, and evil-older-brother grin on his face. "You can't drive."

"But... I'll be turning sixteen in a few weeks," I protested. "Please?"

"No," he said firmly. "I drive. You get shotgun."

I made a face at him and climbed into the front seat. "Soon enough! Soon enough I'll be sixteen, and you'll have to face my wrath."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but in six days I'll be eighteen, which means YOU'LL be facing MY wrath. Anyway, that's a stupid thing to say." He started the car and drove away, not waiting for my comment.

I gave him one anyway. "I'm not stupid."

"Uh-huh, but you say stupid things."

I pursed my lips and shut up, even though it gave my brother the satisfaction of me being quiet for once. That thought made me angry, so I started eating another saltwater taffy, which was minty.

We reached the beach in approximately five minutes. (One time I used a stopwatch to time how long the drive was. Don't ask. It started because my brother challenged me about something, and then... Well, let's not get into the details.)

It was a nice day for the beach. The sun was shining, there were not a whole let of clouds, and the water was a beautiful blue color.

"So... What are we supposed to do?" My brother grunted.

"Enjoy it," I sighed happily.

"Not enjoying anything," he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. I balled my fists, ready to punch him, and harder than the last time. Instead I just started yelling, which was probably worse for him.

"You never enjoy anything but spending time in your dark house! Don't you like the sea air? Don't you like the ocean? You should! Now start enjoying it! NOW!!" I shouted.

He furrowed his brow. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with YOU?" I shot back. "I was just trying to spend some nice time with you. But you don't care about anyone but yourself!" I chewed vigorously on another taffy, to keep me from getting louder.

He sighed. "Look... It's complicated. I have a fear of... of..."

"Oh, what is it?" I said. "Just say it!"

"Dogs!" He blurted out. "And there's always dogs outside, so I never go outside. And... and at the beach, there is going to be dogs."

I let out a breath of air. "You could have told me."

"You would have thought I was stupid."

"What do you care what I think? Anyway, I don't think you're stupid. Pull over. I'm taking the wheel," I said.

"Uh... I don't think that's a good idea," he mumbled.

"Do it!" I said. "Dad gave me some lessons. It'll be fine."

He still looked worried, but gave me the wheel. "Try not to kill us, okay?" He said.

"I'll try not to," I said, which made him look more scared.

For the first part, the driving went smoothly. We didn't see any dogs. Just people in bathing suits and shops. But then my brother got a sick look in his face. It kept getting whiter and whiter, until it as paler than snow.

"Turn... Turn around," he croaked. "Now..."

I looked over at what he saw. There was a big, brown and super furry dog running toward our car. It was drooling, and you could see its large teeth. I thought it might stop, but no. It kept running for our car.

"Turn around!" My brother rasped.

But I couldn't. We were at a red light, and it looked like we'd be here for another minute or so, and cars were behind us. I sucked on a banana-flavored saltwater taffy while my brother started shaking in the front seat.

"What is that dog doing?" I muttered. He was only a few steps away from our car now, and the light was still red.

Suddenly, with a large leap, the dog jumped into our car, into my brother's lap. Yes, our car has no roof. My brother started screaming, high-pitched like a little girl. He looked like he was experiencing the worst pain he'd ever been in, and it did bother me that a strange dog was in our car. "Push the dog out!" I yelled.

"I CAN'T!" He screamed. He was struggling to get out of the car as the dog licked his face, but he could't, because at that moment, the light turned green.

"STOP THE CAR!" He wailed.

"I can't!" I said. I was surrounded by cars, and nobody was really trying to help us out.

My brother had tears steaming down his face, and he shakily tried to pry the dog off him, but the dog would not budge.

"Well, this sucks," I said.

"YOU THINK?" My brother cried.

We sat in the car for three more minutes, with a strange dog in my clean car, my brother crying, and stuck in traffic at the beach in the nice sunshine, with salty air to breath in.

Finally, I could pull over. I dragged the dog out of our car and calmed down ,y brother. (It took about half an hour. I won't get into detail.)

Afterward, I said, "That was interesting."

"You think?" My brother sniffled.

So much for a nice day at the beach.

is it fair to say

saltwater taffy

has never tasted as good

as the first time you tried

with sweaty fingers

stinky shoes

undone buns

knees bruised

copper rolled

off my tongue

I was bitter

the taste was sweeter

than I can imagine now

like honey and homesickness

suckers and stale bread

weathered and battered and fresh

they were jewels

pearly and swirly

sea air and blue skies

rainy days inside

a bite of cloud and cotton

gooey and scrumptious

nothing is ever quite the same

once you see the way

the stuff stuck

to your fingers is soft

like the way your hands were

and your tongue

has tasted his and your thighs

have felt his glue hands

his firm stance

nothing is ever quite so

smooth again

Blood staining the ocean copper

in attempts to wash away sin.

There's no reason to pretend

this'll be what stops her.

Drinking from the saltwater taffy sea as if it was pink lemonade,

causing hallucinations of the love she awaited.

She heard her siren's sweet honey serenade;

a symphony in which to her was dedicated.

She stayed in the water until all of her was succumbed to give into a weathered body,

not far from either the Pearly gates or the gates of Hell.

Or perhaps she'll just roam the earth disembodied,

not far from where Lucifer fell.

Inhale the copper leaves

Smoke swirls

As it makes its way inside

Filling lungs with black tar

Sticky like saltwater taffy on a summers day

Exhale the fumes

Stripping you of your beauty

Yellowing pearly whites

Prematurely aging

Changing suppleness to weathered leather

Replacing your honey sweet voice

With raspy gargles

Honey, it's only saltwater taffy,

Not your weathered face reflecting off the pearly, copper frame.

Now that we've included all the necessary components of time,

We can throw the mirrors to sea

And let the sun refract our beauty back

Like dolphin skins free to shimmer aloft as they skim.

"We're weathered in, Pearly." Honey sighed.

Pearly shook her head, her hands fiddling with the saltwater taffy wrappers, folding them into little stars.

"It's only a little bit of rain." She continued to mutter, but remained focused on the little stars.

Honey smiled, listening to the rain hit the window harshly, it was is as if the rain was was a person. Terrified, in search of a safe haven from the beasts outside.

"Where's Copper?" Pearly turned her head toward Honey, her fingers still folding the wrappers into little stars. Honey stared at her with wide eyes. Copper, their cat, held an orange color of fur, close to the color of copper wire.

"He's upstairs."

Pearly nodded, turning herself back to the little stars. "I'm makin' some stars for him." She popped the taffy into her mouth, the wrapper to the side.

"So I can wish for him to come back."

"For who to come back?" Honey asked in confusion.

"Copper, he said himself he was like us in his past life, Ma." She smiled brightly "so, I'm bringin' em back."

The lake is a sort of a majesty. It feels like it was dropped from a renaissance painting. The waves that lick concrete walls and the sun that bleaches rocks until granite has a pearly shine.

Air carries translucent blue drops of saltwater taffy-scented mist to my window, and gathers on the weathered bars.

The honey colored copper no longer imprisons me.

Honey, listen. I don't care about how weathered our house may be. I miss that copper furnace, though, always grumbling like an upset beast. Pearly eyed special one, let's go kiss your saltwater-taffy lips instead of worrying about the rust. As long as your lips meet mine, none of this shit matters.