1918 - Time Machine

 The Sunday Whirl presented these twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece. 

waves cake strays strand churning spot buzz colors sudden flow early stirring

D'verse Poets has an Open Night too.

Time Machine.

I

The Kenwood—it was hers.

It shudders and buzzes

As it churns the thick mixture.

Given the chance

It would walk off the bench.

Did once.

It has a fruitcake mixture in it.

Granny’s recipe, by inheritance,

Mrs Kiers’ recipe, by attribution.

Butter, sugar, eggs, flour,

Spices, strands of peel,

Lots of fruit.  

No brandy, she was Methodist.

Finally, too much for the machine,

I take over the stirring.

The mixture flops, not flows

(fruitcake mix does not flow)

Into the paper lined tin,

And into the oven.

Then comes the aroma…

◊

II

The aroma coming from the oven

Is a time machine—

Suddenly the mind strays 

To earlier days—

To memories that come

In the waves and colours

Of a special spot, 

A kitchen in my childhood:

Her work-worn hands,

Her face lined by life,

Her practical frocks and aprons,

The patterned lino floor

Of the kitchen where fruitcakes

Just magically appeared

From her old gas oven.

Same recipe.

Same Kenwood.

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