Love Poem: Cooking Lesson
Sidney Beck Avatar
Written by: Sidney Beck

Cooking Lesson

COOKING  LESSON

All kids love  their  mother’s food -
In  the world  no  taste  is finer.
My mum’s cooking wasn’t good -
Basic food for a minor diner.

Her dumpling-soup had no appeal,
Meat was burnt,  vegetables tough.
If  smooth  short  pastry is  ideal 
Her pastry then was long  and rough.

I’ve often had  elegant  food  at Maxime’s
And sometimes in London’s splendour, the  Ritz.
They offer  choux pastry and  bream in soft cream
Or  venison  rare  as my status  befits.

But at home in the dining room   when I can choose
I still love the  tough  little burnt scraps as chews.
Judge not mother’s food by the tasting thereof ;
The pleasure is  saturated  there  in her love .