De Gustibus

I was raised on margarine
but lusted after butter.
My breakfast drinks were
frozen OJ and powdered milk.
My bread was white.
Other than tap water,
Tang was the only option.

Schools gave me choices,
mostly just as bad,
but there was usually
surplus butter in pats,
whole milk and rye bread
and heavily sugared desserts.

Shipboard military regressed.
Commodity Kool-Aid,
no or powdered milk,
unfresh vegetables,
fruit AWOL on leaving port,
but always frozen butter.

Once, shopping for myself,
prescribed limits abandoned,
I wallowed in cheap luxury.
If it didn’t say premium,
it was left on the shelf.
Butter is good on everything.