Matchless memory

November 18, 2002

I am in favor of deep freezers,
automatic washers, ranges,
clutchless autos, central heating,
and a hundred other changes.
But I have one memory
that science never can erase:
the comfort, pleasure, and appeal
of a country fireplace;
and with that memory, a taste -
modern kitchens cannot kill it -
the aromatic taste of cornbread
baked in an iron-lidded skillet.
Though I may praise the pressure cooker
and the automatic toaster,
celebrate the high-speed mixer,
rave about the grill and roaster,
they cannot match my memory:
a tall, stemmed glass and milk to fill it
and that golden, crunchy cornbread
baked inside the covered skillet.