Bacon

I am nine at breakfast
Around Grandma Mings
Kitchen table listening to
A reprimand from my father
To the effect that bacon is only
A garnish for eggs and not a food
Choice as my sibs grin in disbelief
Munching away as Grandma sets
More bacon on our plates as my
Father frowns but bacon on hot
Toast with butter and jam does
Make nice breakfast sandwiches.
My sisters taught me to make
A peanut butter crisp iceberg
Lettuce five strips of crispy
Bacon on nutrition-less
Fresh white bread yum
Yum sandwich which
One of my grandkids
Exclaimed was so
Good they did
Not believe it
Even on a
Second
Sandwich
Just to confirm
Their initial surprise.
Attempts to substitute
Fake bacon always meet
With moral condemnation
Even with polite phrases
About how nice how
Clever even better
Than the tofu
Turkey at
Thanksgiving,
Bacon as a garnish
Is blasphemy as I use
Bacon grease to cover the
Baking pan bottom when I bake
A whole passel of chicken breasts
Shaken in a brown bag with flour
With sliced onions carrots
Celery and any spice
That sounds even
Vaguely Italian
Baked until
It smells
Too delicious to wait,
Bacon a garnish
Indeed! Grandma
Mings knew better.