Much is written about what we see. Today, everyone is a photographer. Sounds are recorded, enabling us to recall the trill of a bird, a crack of thunder, the voice of a loved one. The sense of smell, though, is the most powerful for that emotional pull, flinging us back to memories we thought we had forgotten. I hope my words evoke memories for you–good and bad. What is your gut reaction?
EVOCATIVE
Sweaty armpits, old gym shoes,
potatoes rotting in a cupboard,
dirty nappies, pig manure,
a drunk, lolling in his vomit.
Burning tyres, gutted homes,
flames roaring through the bush.
Fried onions, vanilla beans,
bacon and toast and percolating coffee.
Leather seats in a new car,
rain on parched earth,
a baby, fresh from the bath.
Eucalypt leaves on a wet day in London.
Yardley perfume that granny used,
sweet peas, picked from a garden.
Old spice after-shave,
the coat you always wore.
Victoria Mizen