Halloween Erotica II.

Last week, I went to a local cafe for open mic night - planning to read some poetry. After a while, I noticed that the organizer was only having his musician friends perform. Between songs, I approached him. 

"Excuse me, is this really an open mic?" I asked. "I brought some poetry."

He appeared slightly revolted. "We don't really do poetry here. Do you sing?"  

Dude, gimme a karaoke machine and I'll belt out Barry Manilow's Copa Cabana. "No. I'm a lousy singer, but this is advertised for all artists. My poetry's pretty short." He didn't give me an answer, so I sat, embittered. One guitar-strumming cowboy after another sang about his long lost love. With the men on either side of me asking to see my poetry, though, my confidence soared.

Finally, after every musician had performed, the organizer told me, "You can do one really quick poem." 

"Okay, sure." Then, for poets throughout the world (all three of us), I worked the room. "I get the feeling you're not much of a poetry crowd," I started, "so I'm about to change that. This first poem is called Halloween Erotica." There was cheering, and the cafe fell silent as I read the original here. [I've posted it several times over the years.] That experience motivated me to work on part II.    Happy Pre-Hallow's Eve!

When darkness falls,

I'm at your door

To raid your stash

Then beg for more.

So hold it out 

And let me see.

The big, long ones work best for me.

Don't tantalize with bits of bait

Drop it down! 

I hate to wait!

It's been a year; I need my fix.

You give me treats 

I'll show you tricks.

Stuff my bag

And make it last

I'm known to ravage hard and fast.

I've one rule, though. 

Make no mistake.

If it's not wrapped

I won't partake

 'Cuz safety first. Mom taught me right. 

And I'll devour 

throughout the night.

I'll stake my claim 

On all your best

Then disappear

Just like the rest.

Don't fall asleep. 

There's no reprieve.

I'll knock some more

Next Hallow's Eve.

Hershey's Bliss - Reason to Celebrate? And a Chocolate Review

Warning: This information, while distressing, is too important to ignore. Please be mindful of these facts when purchasing Halloween candy and/or when feeding a cocoa craving. Most of the data below is based on my on-line research in 2010. There's been little change AND one blissful victory.

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The harsh facts: Thousands of children are kidnapped, trafficked, and sold to cocoa plantations every year. The average price per child: $1.20-1.90. Often, these child slaves have no concept of chocolate. Rather, they are forced to endure 12-18 hour workdays, handle machetes without proper training, climb high trees – while exposed to hazardous chemicals in a treacherous climate. Should they rebel or perform “poorly,” they are beaten. Should they try to escape, they are killed. A vast majority of these known abuses occur in West Africa’s Ivory Coast.

Despite high-powered opposition for over seven years, Hershey's continues business with the Ivory Coast. Certainly the world’s largest chocolate corporation, boasting over $5 billion in revenue annually, can afford to take a stance.This monstrous entity acquired Sharffen-Berger in 2005 and Dagoba in 2006. In fact, it's likely that most every candy at your local 7-11 or convenience store is Hershey's owned. Also, Hershey's produces many non-chocolate products, such as Twizzlers. The company owns Mars and many others. Thus I've boycotted my once favorite cheap chocolate, the m&m, since I learned this unsettling information.

No worries, safe alternatives abound. The most assuredly exploitation-free chocolate carries a Fair Trade Label. We pay more, but dollars go directly to the development of community resources, such as schools or hospitals. Fair trade cocoa originates in Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Peru. To find out a candy's source, look at the back label. Organic chocolate is another good option (e.g., Newman’s Organics). Trader Joe's provides exploitation free products, and independent stores often carry safe alternatives.

Seven years of hardcore advocacy on the part of individual and group activists resulted in Hershey's announcement last year that they'd go Fair Trade by 2020 (Why so far away? Do they think activists will drop the fight by then?). For now, they've introduced Bliss and Dagoba Rainforest Alliance Certified lines.

It's incredibly confusing, as there are numerous levels of "fairness" in trade practices. This article does very well to clarify Hershey's recent move. I don't quite get it, but I believe we've reason to celebrate - while continuing to fight.

For now, I highly encourage you to purchase Hershey's Bliss Rainforest Alliance Certified or any other candy designated on the "fair" spectrum instead of the usual Halloween candy suspects. Note that Brach's candy corns are NOT fair trade.

Also note that Bliss tastes blissful. I've sampled it for you. You're welcome. Wink.

It's dark chocolate, not too bitter or too sweet. It's just right and blissfully tasty. For their efforts, yet for their need to continue to move in the right direction, I give Hershey's Bliss dark chocolates a 9 on a 1-10 scale.

There are approximately 30-40 chocolates per bag,* and this candy is approximately $1 more than non-fair trade candy. Your conscience, and the world's children, are worth that. Right?

*Now, less than two hours after I made the purchase, there are only 22 or so. Hanging head low in shame, whilst beaming ecstatically. 

Thank you, Hershey's! Keep doing better, and we'll keep holding up the bar for you!

Here are some folks fighting the good fight, and my sources of this information:
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
Fair Trade Labeling Organization
Fair Trade Candy Blog
http://www.globalexchange.com/
http://www.change.org/
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

Me on TV Again, Robin Williams' Rippling Impact

Excuse the self-indulgence, especially if you're a facebook friend, but it's not every day that TV cameras are on me. This is a news-bite by Channel 7 News Reporter Jerry Olenyn. He's a warmhearted man, who invited me to watch him splice this piece together after filming it. Jerry also kindly uploaded this feed for me the other day; it wasn't accessible on their website.

Some random notes: ~While being filmed, I was only concerned about what the wind was doing to my hair. Rightfully so, it's looking pretty wild here. ~TV does not add 20 pounds like they say it does. Thank goodness. ~It doesn't add height either like I hoped it would. But you can't tell how short I am here, or how Jerry scrunched down to film me, so it's all good.

Seriously, though, I'm fortunate to have been interviewed for the local News regarding Robin Williams' death by suicide, which continues to impact us all. Hopefully, honest, open, small and large scale conversations about mental illness and suicide are only beginning. If we can keep the momentum going, lives will undoubtedly be saved. What better tribute to such a wonderful man? This, and continuing to laugh through it all!


Have a nice week, dear friends.