...til today?! Variations on the theme who can resist?
(sonnet #MMMMMMMMMCMXI)
Lo, shortbread is the flavour whose detail
Was rendered as green wreaths and buttons, whence
Oh me! The taste transports me back from hence
To Christmas time and our "big" kitchen's trail,
Half lived in, to grand schemes, where Mum t'avail
Would press the cookies out, and we'd fr'intents
Help finish: red spice drops on wreaths for sense;
With candied fruit on buttons' flowrs for bail.
I have her mother's press by now in tour,
The fashion long since out of style, and through
Both decades and years' changes rendered poor;
Authentic Scottish shortbread needing to
Be simply baked in cake tins, then cut, stir
Since buried mem'ries by the taste we knew.
26Dec25a
Jan 2
Jan 2, 2026 at 8:33 AM UTC
...til today?! Variations on the theme who can resist?
(sonnet #MMMMMMMMMCMXI)
Lo, shortbread is the flavour whose detail
Was rendered as green wreaths and buttons, whence
Oh me! The taste transports me back from hence
To Christmas time and our "big" kitchen's trail,
Half lived in, to grand schemes, where Mum t'avail
Would press the cookies out, and we'd fr'intents
Help finish: red spice drops on wreaths for sense;
With candied fruit on buttons' flowrs for bail.
I have her mother's press by now in tour,
The fashion long since out of style, and through
Both decades and years' changes rendered poor;
Authentic Scottish shortbread needing to
Be simply baked in cake tins, then cut, stir
Since buried mem'ries by the taste we knew.
26Dec25a
Request permission to use this poem