Love's Ice Cream Parlor

Love, in ice cream flavors

Each story on the board

Start with everybody's first taste

The sweet innocence of puppy love.

Let's call it Vanilla

Then you try new flavors

Chocolate for first dates

Strawberry for sweethearts

First kiss is Creamsicle Twist

Breaks ups are always Cookie Dough and tears

Prom is like Pistachio

With the slow dance sprinkles spread on top

Long distance is Coffee or Mocha Chip,

keeping you up at night.

Mint Cookie Crumble is for the cool guys

Death by Chocolate, for ladies way out of your league

Butter Pecan for too-good-for-you girls, leaving you slightly salty

Sherbet for the sure-bet girls, who your mom thinks are really great

In college you leave ice cream for Fro-Yo

You find your type, but the names change like toppings

Heather Heath Bars lead to Kimberly Coconut Flakes

Because hey, YOLO

Then you go away on holiday, and find new flavors

Piña Colada & Orange Pineapple, for summer romance

A flavor you just can't remember for the one that got away

You graduate and look for more sophisticated dates,

Organic, GMO-Free, fair trade.

But all too much effort, and in poor taste

You get married, and it's Rocky Road

A surprise in every bite

You get divorced and it's Panda Paws

Or Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Delight

You find love again, and this time it stays.

It's more learned now, solid in its ways

You realize what you wanted

Was Vanilla all these days.

This poem came about one night, after consoling a friend about a breakup. I told her, "Love is an ice cream stand. Every time you can try a new flavor. You might like it, you might not. Some flavors you only have if you feel a certain way. In the end, I think everybody wants vanilla. It's straightforward, honest and the right amount of sweet. It's a subtle flavor that isn't a fad. It's your first love, it's your soulmate, the person you can grow old with." I thought to myself, how would I describe love in ice cream? What flavors match up with a breakup, a marriage, a divorce or a first kiss?

What kind of flavor describes your relationship? Which ones would you add to Love's Ice Cream Parlor? Tweet using #FlavorsofLove, and spread the love.