I Smell a Memory Coming On

 

The scents I remember like hand rolled cigars

Wine cask lined cellars in musty cool basements

Chocolate miniatures nestled in bright candy dishes

Tea leaves and mint steeping in dainty china cups.

 

Baked goods cooling on the kitchen counter

Roast with potatoes in a rich onion broth

Lilacs and roses lined on back yard fences

Channel #5 clings to grandmother’s sweater

 

Scents I remember from childhood spent

Fondly reminiscing with a wistful smile

In this sterile world I live in now

What will my grandchildren remember?

 

No leaves burnt on a cold autumn night

No carcinogens cooked over red hot coals

No second hand smoke that will cling to your clothes

No hairspray, no tea roses, no creams or colognes

 

No Sundays exploring my old Aunt Ruth’s farm

No chickens or guineas; no old dusty barns

No fresh moved hay or cinnamon apple pies

Just germicide, purified, Ionic fresh air.

Reviews

[Suzanne Sherif]

Wow! This is powerful! I love it when writing can transport me to a place I've never been and make me feel as if I were actually there. And certain scents absolutely do trigger strong memories, don't they?

The ending is an interesting twist. I didn't expect the poem to wind up there. I thought it would just be a trip down memory lane, but it turned out to also be an examination of the modern obsession with germ eradication. Interesting!

[Siddartha Beth Pierce]

This is quite wonderful. I make sculptures that are scented in order to stimulate memories and aromatherapy. You are so right about how smell stimulates memory. What wonderful memories. I believe it is spelled Chanel #5 with one n. Great work. Thank you.
Light,
Siddartha

[Celtic Cat]

First off.....you get the best title award from me! Oh....and I was soaring along so lovingly in this delicious orchard until the bitter ending. Ouch that hurt! It was absolutely wonderful traversing all these fragrances with you, I'm a bit of an aromatherapy fan myself. But yes.....smells can transport you a million miles away for sure. Sounds like you're lonely for the past. Or the north. But that may just be the yankee in me talking! lol
Excellent, excellent write. Very enjoyable and engaging.
Now I miss my mommy. : ( It was the roast beef. : )

[Hannah!]

Wow.

This is a really beautiful piece. The last line (the whole last stanza, really) is what really brings it home, of course--but the whole poem is this rush of smells and sort of a montage of memories. Your imagery here is exquisite, and I savored every word as I read it (which sounds weird, but it is the truth). They say that smell is the sense most connected to memory, and I certainly believe it, especially after reading this.

Wonderful poem.