At the sign of the loving loaf



I dreamt of a bakery the other night
and woke with a heart full of such delight.
Noj is the name of the lovely man
who had the skill and had the plan.

I’d met a comrade on the road,
walking on stilts with a tasty load,
it smelled so good, we just had to find
where we could get some more of its kind.

We went off to look for this magical place -
a derelict block. just off the main ways,
it was near to our pub and it seemed alright
to make a diversion and go for a bite.

A maze and a warren, an unfinished plot,
but the ovens were working and the bread was still hot;
he also serves coffee that’s fragrant and strong,
you can drink it short or you can drink it long.

We sat down and crumbled the loaves in our hands
and ate it like that, without butter or jam;
it was wholemeal and filling, but light and delicious;
he asked for a name that was warm and auspicious.

I thought of ‘corn flower’, but cornflowers are blue
and could be confused with maize flour too;
someone else said ‘cornfield’ and that had its charm,
‘the fruit of the corn’ or ‘the fruit of the farm’.

We chatted and laughed and honoured our host
and demanded to know how he’d achieved most
of his vision with so little finances,
what would come next and what were the chances.

The future looked good and I wanted to stay,
I woke up so happy and ready to play,
I know I’ve felt that way before
and that, for sure, I will do some more.

I know I’ve met Noj and will do again
he’s a cook, a musician, a drinker, a friend,
I know the place and where it is found
not far from here or another town.

I know he’s long had this beautiful scheme –
it isn’t just me who’s had this dream
it will all come back when I’m fully awake
then we’ll get together to party and bake.

rs 26.8.04

About this poem

Memory of a dream, expanded

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Written on August 26, 2004

Submitted by on October 22, 2021

Modified on March 14, 2023

1:46 min read
509

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCDD XXAA EEFF XXGG HHII JJXX KKLL XXXX MMNN
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,752
Words 356
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Richard Skerman

Self published, prose & poems written over a lifetime. more…

All Richard Skerman poems | Richard Skerman Books

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Discuss the poem "At the sign of the loving loaf" with the community...

6 Comments
  • karlcfolkes
    Dreams are the residence of those who hunger and thirst for the bread of life and for the sacred wine that nourishes the soul.
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • teril
    Creation is the essence of joy, whether we are creating bread or a poem. This poem made me happy! Thank you.
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • MissDulcinea
    This was such a delight to read! Love the rhythm and rhyme. Excellent.
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • TEJIKOBI
    Exellent
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • Dougla$Irishman
    As a little tot living across from a bread company, I used to get a fresh loaf out of their big ovens first hand - hot and tasty !
    LikeReply2 years ago
  • Soulwriter
    I like the unfolding narrative
    LikeReply2 years ago

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"At the sign of the loving loaf" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/112538/at-the-sign-of-the-loving-loaf>.

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