Ritual
Making bread.
It used to be my trade,
along with other fancy goods.
Now it’s just twice week,
more of a loving ritual.
Once for myself,
a freezer full of rolls
for my daily ration.
And once for my girls,
two small loaves.
One to share at tea time,
and another to take home.
Rediscovering the magic
hidden in the ‘trade’ process.
You never lose ‘the knack’,
though some days it varies.
It’s an absorbing process,
best done whilst calm,
whilst ‘in the moment’.
Anger makes mistakes.
Artisan fingers ‘talk’ to the dough,
listen to the answers,
correct small imbalances
by hard-earned instinct.
In retirement I missed it,
and now, in small batches,
it makes me feel good.
Rituals can be wonderful,
when they have tangible results.
Gyppo