Sonnet 18 - You Go Beat a Stick

For Betsy

You go beat a stick of softened butter
and sprinkle grains of pure white sugar on it,
while I think of a few sweet words to utter
and fit them into phrases for a sonnet.

Then go and add two eggs, one at a time,
so flour and the sweetened grease adhere,
while I think of a couple words that rhyme,
so lines from out of memory’s web appear.

But we’ll forget, and no one will recall
this poem or the things it meant to say.
It will prove to be as ephemeral
as birthday cake that’s eaten in a day.

That’s why our days of happy marriage take
A constant flow of poetry and cake.