Chocolate in My Hand

The young girl grins,
and love shines out,
as she presses into my palm
a piece of chocolate,
a chunk of the treasure
bought with her own small dole of coins.
she could have squirreled it away,
saved it for a late-night craving,
nibbled on it to make
her homework less painful,
hid it beneath her pillow
as insurance against a barren day.
But this child knows
some greater truth:
that the best part of life
is in the giving,
and joy is the prize
sweeter than chocolate.
For this
we, too, are given
the greatest gifts.

 --Timothy Haut, 2013