Ciabatta for lunch

After lunch I like to ponder on
the simple things that bring delight,
and any topic might evolve
– it really doesn’t matter;
today the first which sprang
to mind was crusty Ciabatta.

Now here’s a bread whose name
implies a slight within its meaning.
Despite the connotation its name
derives from shape – not taste, and 
ciabatta stands for ‘slipper’ in Italian.

It should be tried; you can’t deny
yourself the gustatory pleasure,
freshly torn and dipped in extra
virgin oil, or toasted golden brown
and drowned with powerful flavours,

the bread delivers savours foreign
to our usual ways. They say it’s great
bruschetta, rubbed with garlic,
brushed with oil, grilled and dipped
in soups or dishes redolent with juices.

Too soon since lunch without excuses.
© I.D. Carswell, 1970