My Vicarious Love of Bread (A Poem)
Image | Charlie Rawson
This is our staple – a soulful donation.
Complete and submitted, this generous piece of heart.
A doorstep with butter; salted and smooth.
Spread it thickly and dunk it heavily into soup.
And oooo the crust, what a dream, as it crumbles and flakes;
making such a lovely mess!
We smother it with gravy, the perfect northern desert,
or bake it in the oven when it’s a little bit dry, with a dose of sugary crunch, to make our trusty Bread and Butter pudding.
No waste here.
My mother always said the leaves of a hawthorn bush taste like bread and butter, or at least they did in the 1950’s. If we go for a walk when you’re back in Europe, I’ll point one out for you to try.
Tea is for toast, a quick evening meal, always had at my best friend’s house after school.
A slather of cheese for a Welsh Rarebit, or lock it in for a tasty toasty, my Australian relatives call this a Jaffle.
Breakfast is rye, vollkornbrot toasted for marmite and layer upon layer of cheddar; mature of course and from just down the road.
Brunch we have sourdough, the hipsters’ starter for 10, with smashed avo and chili flakes topped with an extended drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
My favourite is tinned sketti (spaghetti) only Heinz 56 will do,
Heated and poured out, soaking the toast,
with a duvet of grilled grated cheddar and mayo… dirty but delicious.
I have so many ways that bread is my love, but,
since living in China, I lost my gluten tolerance
so you’ll have to tell me how much you love it instead.
Charlie Rawson lives in Bristol, England, and has visited, worked or studied in 33 countries so is an experienced and vibrant traveller and teacher. With Celtic blood and a love of culture and languages, she continues these passions through hiking, guiding and writing. She is available for UK and European tours (Travel with Charlie Rawson), and for those unable to travel, Charlie offers virtual tours throughout the UK. She also writes personalized travel poetry recapturing your treasured travel memories. Charlie hosts global travel planning sessions and leads classes in wellbeing for healthy and happy travels. You can follow Charlie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
