How many people does it take
to cook a meal or to bake a cake
at least ten or so would be my guess
add even more to clean up your mess
if you doubt my words let us see
first to the store to the bakery
no that’s not right as your starting from scratch
so the first thing you will have to catch
the clerks attention to find out which aisle
and then thanking them with a smile
as off to where the cake mixes are sold
along the way you pick up a bowl
to mix the stuff and get it just right
adding eggs to the mix and whip it up light
more milk as you go to soften the mix
whipping and stirring so that it sticks
to the spoon and then you know its not slop
and into the oven not close to the top
so far you have probably used three different people
to buy from the store and it isn’t that simple
if you count the farmer that grew the corn
and another that made the flour to form
the batter that you added in dribs and dregs
and the farmer whose chicken provided the eggs
and another whose cow provided the milk
so that you could turn the mix to silk
what about the different truck drivers
all of whom count as aiders
for without them none of this can happen
and your project would be abandoned
for it takes a lot of people
who helped in part to raise the steeple
as supplying things along the way
just as they do every day
for you to bake that very cake
a lot of people helped you make
when you add all of those people together
each getting paid for their share of the labor
it’s a wonder that we can afford
even with different options explored
to take the time to bake that cake
that all of those people helped you make…

Written 12/21/2020