Aroma of a Past Love

 

A smell rises up from the steaming pavement
It is at once both repugnant and sweet
Evoking remembrances of you
Bittersweet memories cloud my mind
Melting today into yesterday

The myriad of aromas dance in the air
Visible as a hazy veil in the summer heat
Lending reality to the illusion
Of another time; another city
When we walked united beneath neon lights

Constantly reforming and swirling around
Like a chameleon through a changing landscape
Always familiar, yet never the same
Igniting emotions buried deep
Creating conflict within my soul

The pervasive odors of the city
Though constant; are never consistent
Pleasing to the senses in one breath
Unknown and frightening with the next
Reminding me of your love

Reviews

[Yvonne Heidt]

This is cool. You captured the "elusive" feelings of scent, excellently. I hate it when it comes, then I have memories only to find that I can't remember what it was that I was thinking of. Kind of like waking up from dream and not remembering it.

Beautiful job, as always. :)

[Adrian K. Smith]

There are so many triggers for so many memories, but this piece goes beyond that. Oh yes, no doubt it captures the aroma of a memory quite well; but maintaining the distance between locales added to the distance of the memory.

I do not know if you could call it healing, but that is the sense that I get from this. Yes, the memories are there - but they are not stumble, stutter, stammer memories they may have once been. Or perhaps I am just exhibiting something sociopathic and ignoring the depth of emotion... still though, as I read through this - there is quite literally and quite figuratively that pervading feeling of having moved on.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Ahhhh it's funny how a certain place, scent or song can remind us of someone special in our lives... such a bittersweet piece as are our haunting memories... I really love it!!

[DR3AM3R]

i really liked this it was so desciptive and somewhat abstract it reminded me of someone i once loved

[Celtic Cat]

wow. This is completely enchanting and has such an other-worldly feel to it, although you speak of earthly things. Each verse more poignant than the last, which is no small feat considering the first one is a masterpiece. So sad, though, the ending, that your love was like that. I wish I could say I know not of such love, but I do. Aroma is a great pathway to the past. They say smell invokes memory better than any other sense. This piece is utterly moving and masterfully penned. My heart goes out to your bittersweet memory and you. Much love~~

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

This is a great write.. it has so much to see, in your images and descriptions.. the smells, the entire poem made me feel so very melancholy.. you wrote this with emotion deep it seems.


Chloe
xoxo

[jen -- JG]

The smell of love and the smells that remind us of love and lost loves is bitter sweet.

Even when the odor is repugnent - if it was first a part of love, then that scent is branded into your soul - so much so that even twenty years or more down the track - that particular scent will evoke a memory.

I like the image of your last verse, describing the odorous city being constant but not consistant and although pleasing at times , it was also unknown and frightening.

Thos 5 lines told me how much alike the two were, your love and the city smells and in the end they were one and the same.

Well done.

[Melody P-]

I love this topic..I can honestly say I haven't seen anyone write of this before..and at times this can be such an overwhelming situation.. The "Bittersweet memories" are just that..and you've written of this well**
Great use of words...I like this:)
thanks for the read

[Rhiannon Dragonraine]

I like the hauntingly somber and reminescening of this piece, I have moments like those when something reminds you of someone you have been missing and it leaves you poignantly aware of what brought the memory to mind. Good Work.

[Robert]

Wow! With as much poetry as I've written, the concept of someone's scent bringing up a memory has never been the topic. I like that.

[Emily B]

oh, wow! You got my senses reeling with the descriptions and then, like lightning that last line came out of clear blue skies. Oh, wow!