From Robert Lee Brewer:
For today’s prompt, write a poem about a smell. Similar to Day 6’s prompt about writing a poem about a sound, today’s prompt involves thinking about the various good and bad smells that fill the world. Pick one smell (or a variety, I suppose), and write a poem.
I am borrowing from my archives for this one...
ReplyDeleteScent of Lilacs
I will always remember
our old backyard
the scent of lilacs
that filled the summer air
as bees buzzed around their blooms.
I will always remember
how we built fairy houses
from the purple blossoms, how
the scent of lilacs
surrounded our
innocent play.
I will always remember
those carefree days when
we were friends enveloped in
the scent of lilacs.
Funny how we write about smells from our childhood, and both of them basically from the backyard.
DeleteI remember the fairy houses. We used to feed them little pieces of cookies and such. And the lilacs were part of the fairy houses. I never read this one before so it was new to me. Great poem!!!
DeleteSo very sweet. Thanks for this lovely sharing.
DeleteMe too. A VERY old one...
ReplyDeleteSOUR GRAPES WITH SUE
The smell of diesel fuel
reminds me of sour, green grapes
in alleys, where they grew
wild between the factories
behind my father's house
and the summer Sue taught me
to disobey my dad.
He would beat my brother Joe
for crimes I wouldn't try.
He hit me for things I did
not do anyway. So
what could be worse if I got
caught? Sue asked. And if I
wasn't caught? I felt power
well inside my new breasts, that I
could look at him and know
he did not. It worked. It stunned
me to the soul to know
God did not come strike me dead
for sins. I lied. I did
things that I did not confess
to priests on Saturdays.
Sue pushed me to go, left me
if I wouldn't. I went.
We ate those forbidden grapes,
stolen from the alleys,
the juice that smelled of foundry
fumes. They were just the start.
We rode our bikes to twelfth street,
where young girls did not go,
past foundries. We even went
inside the door of one,
drank water from the fountain
as sooty cheeked men at
work smiled at our daring deeds.
Our small adventures felt
so brave. So many first times.
Sue took me far outside
boundaries. We saw a world
which was rarely pretty
but full of flaws, as we were
explorers far from home.
we ate those grapes too. It was so much fun. We ate them
Deletesour, we ate them fully ripe. We climbed the fence and got a bunch and climbed back down. LOL mom probably knew but didn't care. Your poem is lovely and I remember it from before. I loved it then and I love it now. How old were you when you first discovered the grapes. Bonnie and I were about 10 and 11.
I always loved this memory poem. we found a wine that reminds us of those grapes called Scuppernog. the white wine tastes like those grapes :-)
ReplyDeletethe rancid smell of shops
ReplyDeletethat lurked and penetrated
our neighborhood when I
was growing up
still lurk and penetrate
our old neighborhood
when I drive through
I'm thrown back in time
to days gone by
to memories I'll have in
my heart forever
when Bernie Bright used
to visit me to learn
to play chess or to
trade stamps for our collections
when we children would roller skate
round and round the block
found a large piece of black top
and used it for a rink
it was so smooth
sometimes we found change
that fell from worker's pockets
we bought penny candy at the
corner store
went to our tent and feasted
or bought comic books without the
covers 10 for a quarter
we always got the kind our dad
like to read too
we read them on the porch
outloud because my brother
couldn't read too well
the rancid smell of shops
brings back fond memories
LOL. All three of us with smell memory from our childhood. I remember those comics. Sue and I used to buy those too. Collecting discarded pop bottles to trade in for 2 cents each. Didn't dad like Archie?
DeleteHe loved Archie and Superman but not Batman or love comics...He would read Richie Rich and Little Dot also. But Archie and Superman were his favorites!
Deleteyep i remember those comics! what fun memories.
DeleteBooks have their own smell.
ReplyDeleteVolumes in the library
create a bouquet.
I love the smell of book!!! I especially love the smell of workbooks and coloring books. LOL. Thanks for your contribution even though you are gone to the retreat.Nice senryu!
Deletewhich is why it worries me that more and more people are going to ebooks and such and there are children who will never ever experience the smell of books which makes holding them and inhaling their scent part of the reading experience. they are missing so much.
DeleteThanks Linda, you are so encouraging. I appreciate you! Bonnie, I think they will not abandon books entirely. It's just like Radio and TV There's both, now and people thought radio would fade and go away when TV came in.
Delete