Inspired by a talk given by Rebecca Earl, on history and cookbooks, at the Also Festival 2017

In a time when self-expression
Was restricted to the kitchen
Emily was known for her coconut pie.
Hard-won daughterly love
Dutifully mixed into a loaf
Of prize-winning indian and rye.
As she waits for it to rise,
She scribbles down some lines:
Secret poems on a packet
About certain slants of light.
Pin-point observations
Advice to eat in moderation
Far beyond her generation
Words that linger sharp and wry.
Freedom in her poetry
To share out her legacy
So that alone she cannot be,
And noteless, she won’t die.