The Box of Chocolates

If life is a box of chocolates 
What should I do with it
Give mine away to others
Share some of the sweetened bits
Set it on the shelf for later
Nibbling a little piece at a time
Or in some frenzied orgy 
Squander it all as mine 

Or shall I become an appraiser
Studying each tiny piece 
Determining if each is too bitter 
Or overwhelmingly sweet 
Bent on examining content 
Presentation and form 
If the centers are worth tasting 
Questioning where all it’s from 

Suddenly the experience of chocolate
A confection meant to delight
Has become a box of confusion 
Comparison, contest, a blight
What happened to joy in the tasting
As each bite uniquely explodes
Experiences melting into us 
Pieces of life, rich episodes

Oh may my box of chocolates 
Be one that I share and still yet 
Be able to savor the flavors 
Be open to new morsels I get
Amidst the sweetness and bitter
Rather than choosing what I prefer 
Take time to fully experience 
Each bite as it naturally occurs