Looking Back - Ron Wilkins

Looking Back

A thump with the heel
of the hand forcing entry,
then the metal ripper jacking up
the lid in levered steps until
with a twist,
the jagged disk snapped loose.
It was hard preparing a meal
of sausages and vegetables
in those student days,
filling up on a chunk of bread and jam,
a mug of tea.


Now, the opener is half the size.
It grips the rim and by successive turns
of a wheel at the side,
the can rotates et voila –
a perfect reflecting circle drops,
neat as a freshly minted coin.
How much easier life has become,
though as I gaze at the pale beans
glowing in their pink sauce,
I wonder could I be viewing the present
through rosy-tinted spectacles?

Ron Wilkins
http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/weblog/article/changsha-beauty/