The Five Thousand Dollar Twinkie

By Sophie Coats

“Price of Twinkies skyrockets online as Hostess plans to shut down.” — nydailynews.com.

Tucked between the golden stale skin

were the whispers of late night

cartoons and covert cupcakes.

These apologies written

in the swirls of chocolate and cream.

“I’m sorry I got home late.”

When the last crumbs of Twinkie were swept

out of 7-Elevens all over America,

my father took me across the street

and we mourned the bare shelves, our hands

reaching to grab onto the invisible

Ho Hos and Snowballs.

For five thousand dollars

on eBay we could buy back the

Twinkies stolen from our yearning fingers.

We could choke down our childhood

with Ding Dongs and Suzy Q’s.

My father used to say this is what

dreams tasted like—

this bitter black chocolate that made

you wonder why you ever started eating it

yet, somehow, were unable to stop.

Sophie Coats was born in Texas but raised a Jersey girl. Junior year of high school she traded out public school life for the boarding school experience at Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studies creative writing. She is now a senior. Sophie was awarded a Gold Key for flash fiction and a Gold Key for poetry in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and her work has appeared in the Red Wheelbarrow. She is currently co-Editor-in-Chief for The Interlochen Review.When most people are sleeping, Sophie can be found either reading under the covers with a flashlight or eagerly writing a story while trying not to keep her roommate awake. She writes a surprising amount about food.