Love in a paper bag

Did anyone else love going to their local sweet shop with 10p in hand? Did you call it a mix-up?

Love in a paper bag

I remember running
To the corner shop
A 10p mix-up
Is what I got!

Exotic pineapple
In sugary cubes
Mixed in with 1p
and ½ penny chews!

There were Hearts of love
With messages wrote
To give to those
Who floated your boat

Liquorice laces!
Hubba Bubba too
So you could blow pink bubbles
As big as me and you!

(OK, so that might be
a slight exaggeration
But, I always had
a good imagination!)

There were candy cigarettes
You pretended to smoke!
Of course, this was before
The world got so ‘woke’!

You could gobble it up
After having a sly drag
So there were no fag ends
To make environmentalists sad

Then there were the classics
Not to be forgotten
But, I must admit I always found
Aniseed balls rather rotten!

There were bullets that were black
Lemon, and  pear drops too
And sugar dusted bonbons
That were such a delight to chew!

Last but not least
The gobstopper cometh!
And all down your chin
The slaver would runneth!

There was love in the rustle
Of that simple paper bag
Looking back, I never realised
How little we all had

Make do and mend
Was still the motto
Of the day
Now it seems we live
Such a materialistic way

Keeping up with the Kardashians
(Whoever they may be)
Will never give you  the joy I felt
In a mix-up for 10p!