Deborah White - Be Ro Buff

My nearly fifty chest, that’s years not inches
still seems to swell with joy when I manage to
bake a not half bad, pineapple upside down cake.
Or a rather tasty cornbeef potato and onion plate pie.

Thanks to my mother’s tattered and torn skinny
little old paperback Be Ro book, over the years I’ve
taught myself the very talented domesticated art of
being a short crust pastry, pie making amateur cook.

It’s been drummed into my head since I was a
slip of a girl, cold water cold hands cold everything
else., Half fat to flour and the pie will come out the
oven the champion bar none. To be eaten before the
plate hits the bench. Same as the melting moments
or my dads very favourite massive cheese scone.

I don’t know where the time is gone but every once
in a little while probably about five years apart, I get
the urge to get that old Be Ro book out again cos I can’t
remember where to start. And I bake the best ever corn-
beef potato and onion pie. So darn good my swollen
dolly dimple head nigh on touches the oven baked sky

Deborah White

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/be-ro-buff/