I hate Marmite,

however,

I defend your right to go to war

over it being withdrawn

from clean and enticing

shelves, with best before date

showing on the label,

to get agitated

and forced fed

as your mid-morning

mouth becomes the graveyard

of quick and easy snacks.

Remember, this is but the first shot

in the Marmite war, the skirmish

in the desert, the aisle of plenty

now bare, those that lived through

rationing know how to tighten

their belts by a couple of notches,

those that felt the bitterness

of the winter

of discontent

understanding the pain to come,

as you mourn

the passing of Marmite on your toast.

 

Ian D. Hall 2016