A child deprived of spice and sugar learns
To fill the hunger with strange niceties.
What others spurn, his golden eye discerns,
Through trickery, survival strategies.
With every jenny scrounged, he buys a bar
Of candy with a freebie sticker pack.
Surprised at the smooth texture of each star,
He draws one on his cheek like it's an act.
Since nothing else of sustenance is cheap,
He chews a single stick of gum for years,
Imbibes its rubber properties in sleep
Till from his hands, elastic love appears.
With solitaire as his sole company,
He morphs from scrappy boy to enemy.