Auckland Poetry

The Baker’s Dozen  

The baker, in our village, a man who loved his craft, collaborated with the enemy in the war of 1940-45, as it was the only way he could get fine flour and other stuff to bake his delicious cakes and white bread. Our baker was a pleasant, brown eyed, a short rotund man who always had boiled sweet in his pocket for the children when he went for his afternoon walk. 

His wife was more of an administrative type, dressed in black, starched blouse and ankle long skirt, and in her blue eyes ice floes drifted; chased children, beggars and dogs with her broom, but had been seen feeding birds, bread crumbs on cold winter days.  

During daylight the enemy and Nazi officials came and bought the baker’s enticing products; in nights or early mornings those who could afford it, but didn’t like to be seen associating with a traitor, came and bought fresh bread, aromatic Danish pastry and chocolate éclairs.  

When the war ended, as wars must, the baker was sent to jail as a collaborator, but he didn’t sit there longI suspect - but cannot prove this- that his night visitors, mostly lawyers, doctors and business men spoke well of him into the right authorities. It is odd to think during all this upheaval few, if any, knew that it was his wife who wore an iron cross under her blouse.   

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