The Soup Poem

#soup #food #drink #discussion

T'was the week before Christmas, when all through Strachan Hall

The aroma of soup floated o'er every wall;

The students were sat round the bonfire slight,

And the thought of hot broth brought them all much delight;

Then cold little Raina in thermals and coat,

Asked her shivering friends if they wanted to vote;

Unanimous t'was, they would go back inside,

And Raina was more than ecstatic to abide.

They entered Strachan Hall and they noticed a line,

Which meant only one thing: that the food was divine.

Raina couldn't decide between chicken or broth,

So she thought to herself, "why not just get both?"

First they took off their scarves, then they took off their hats,

And they started to eat and they started to chat.

But not before long a loud clanging was heard,

As the guard approached sourly like lemon curd.

"Hey! How dare you come in here and eat when you can't!

Don't you read the sign? golly! you're just like my aunt.

No eating allowed, only drinking, no more,

So I'll have to send you out the JCR door!"

Thinking fast on her feet (as she sat in her seat),

Raina said what she could, since she'd finished her meat;

She expected to fail but she'd try anyway,

And she thought "come what would" and she thought "come what may."

"But sir, this is soup, am I eating or drinking?

You know, soup's a liquid; d'you see what I'm thinking?

If you're sure that I'm eating I'll happily leave,

And then you can enjoy a serene Christmas Eve.

"No no!" Said the guard as he stepped back aghast,

"You may truly be right but just finish up fast.

Let me think... is your soup a broth or a purée?

For a purée is fine but broth -- what can I say?

"It's got pieces of vegetables, carrots and all,

Which you chew, therefore it isn't drinking at all.

But then so too does bubble tea have chewy pearls

That you drink as the sweet liquid dances and swirls.

"Alright, it depends on the vessel in question,

Because there lies the secret of liquid digestion:

You eat from a bowl and you drink from a cup.

I's love to go on but my time here is up.

"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!

To the end of the Quad! to the top of the wall!"

But I heard him exclaim, ere he walked out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

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*This poem is based on real events but is not historically accurate. Inspired by but tastier than A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore.

That's not all! I'm curious what you think too! Is soup a food or drink; do we eat it or drink it; and does it depend on the vessel? Can soups be put into different categories of soups you eat and soups you drink? Is a broth more or less drinkable than a purée? Let's not waste any more time in answering these urgent, life-changing questions ;)

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!

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My favourite quote about words being delicious is from the novel Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author China Achebe.

"Among the Igbo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten." - China Achebe