The Sunday Whirl presented these twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece.
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taste summer sweetness snap rush half resin turn melts luck passion hand
dVerse Poet's Pub has the prompt "Comfort Food".
Poets and Storyteller asked us to write on what we feel deeply. Food!
The Taste of Life
Preamble
I have been lucky, blessed
With a family that cooks—
A passion that nourishes.
I
Apricots
The early fruit of summer.
My mother would slice them
Onto fresh, buttered bread,
Sprinkle on cinnamon
And a little brown sugar
For added sweetness.
Served on pine floorboard off cuts.
The taste has been stored for a lifetime.
II
Gravy beef,
The cheapest of cuts.
Slow cooked until it melts—
A rich, gelatinous meat,
Served with sliced potato
And mum's special coleslaw:
Half cabbage, half tinned pineapple.
The taste has been stored for a lifetime.
III
Mrs Kier. No first name.
Granny’s sister ironed her shirts
And was given the recipe
For a rich dark fruitcake.
Granny would regularly turn out
A cake, sometimes iced, often not,
For all family occasions.
Hand mixed, no rush, delicious.
The taste has been stored for a lifetime.
IV
Burnt butter.
Sounds a disaster but it’s not.
Burnt Butter biscuits
With half an almond on top.
The smell is rich, unique,
And should they cool—
They snap
And crumble as you eat them.
The taste has been stored for a lifetime.
Postscript
The taste has been stored for a lifetime.
But, in truth, the recipes live on—
In the repertoire of sons and grandsons.
The people too—my mum, my grandma.
Who else but us now remembers Mrs Kier?
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Aww, recipes hold so many memories and love. I like the repetition.
ReplyDeleteoh, I really like this! the format and repetition bringing the old recipes to life in a way that I can almost taste - and they're delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis repeated line works so well: "The taste has been stored for a lifetime." I feel that way about so many of my Mom's dishes, and Dad's, and those from my grandmothers. And I could smell and taste the food as you described each special dish. Finally, it's so poignant to reflect that shared memories dim as those who shared them with us are increasingly ... gone. Very nice poem.
ReplyDeleteWhere taste bud and heart memories merry. Love this poem.
ReplyDeleteLovely memories of your family and Mrs Keir. May God bless them and you too darling !
ReplyDeleteOh, I want to come and eat with your family!
ReplyDeleteFood is love they say. I, too, would have loved to have been at your family dinners.
ReplyDeleteWe have so very much in common!!! All the generous family and friends over the many decades sharing fruits, poultry, pork, beef, canned goods with our little family who had just lost Husband and Father. I enjoyed every single line, word you gifted us.
ReplyDeleteOh what a wonderful timestamps with a taste. Its making me hungry
ReplyDeleteA feast of imagery and memory - Jae
ReplyDeleteYum! I love the repeated line. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThat repeated line ties the wonderful memories together so beautifully. Food is definitely delicious reminiscences.
ReplyDeleteThe repetition works so well to get across the feel of these well-loved food delighting people over and over again, even past lifetimes. I love the earnestness of this piece and think about the comfort foods passed from my parents, to me, and to my children.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem, the repetition really works, and must say lucky you
ReplyDelete