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I was not fond of oatmeal as a child. As an adult, I have learned to eat
it, motivated by its reputed health benefits. When flavored judiciously,
oatmeal can be quite tasty. This poem was inspired by an oatmeal
breakfast shared with a friend. I may have exaggerated my opinion of the
virtues of oatmeal in reaction to a sense that the breakfast was but a
modest one. As you might guess, I have never liked
Cream of Wheat, though I understand that, like oatmeal, it can be
improved with added ingredients.
This poem was the subject of many minor edits
before I was happy with it. My first draft rhymed “cholesterol” with
“best of all,” which seemed clever, but the resulting couplet was
nonetheless defective. I permuted the words of the first line and
composed a completely new second line.
By the way, although I try other variations
occasionally, my usual oatmeal contains brown sugar, vanilla extract,
raisins, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
— LED, 2/8/2009
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