Friday, April 16, 2010

Napowrimo #16: what's that smell?

Prompt for Day 16
Somewhere near where you are sitting is something with a specific smell that will conjure a memory rich with images. Take a moment to find any such object and breathe the scent of it. Say the simple phrase, “I remember” and breathe the scent in again. “I remember.” Free write from “I remember” for at least five minutes, repeating the prompt “I remember” if your writing slows. Use the seeds from your free writing to write today’s poem.


Ireland In Springtime
Daydreaming, I return to Ireland,
the spring sky rinsed pearly gray with rain,
sweet soil sprouting tender shoots.
Fern green, forest green, leaf green,
moss, pine, sage, willow.
So green it's all I see,
so green it's all I remember.

In Dublin, I remember the smell is dark green;
wet wool and fresh-cut yards disguise
the belch of smoke and diesel.
Grassy green lawns blanket St. Stephen's and Trinity,
honeysuckle and bluebells bloom
like fine hand-embroidery on pillowcases.

The road to Galway is scattered
with stone fences and ox-eye daisies.
Fog wispy as faerie music swirls,
new leaves unfold like heirloom lace.
And I remember the people: storytellers, poets,
artists, musicians; those dreamers of dreams who
sustain the land with spirit and passion.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"New leaves like heirloom lace..." How a propos

rallentanda said...

Beautiful imagery and so evocative of Ireland.
Lovely poem Marianne!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful. Makes me want to travel there.

Anonymous said...

You brought the sights and smells of Ireland alive in your poem, Marianne.

Sheila Deeth said...

What beautifully told memories. The dark green, wet wool smell was very evocative.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. I'm jealous of the palette of greens... we have yellow green, brown green and "what-the-heck-is-green?"

Anonymous said...

This is a lovely poem, Marianne. I especially love the lines, "spring sky rinsed pearly gray with rain" and "new leaves unfold like heirloom lace." The smells are great too: "wet wool and fresh cut yards." Nice job!
--Christina

Robin said...

Wonderful! Ireland has the effect on people, no? It's hard to fathom how green--and how many shades of green...and how all that beauty impacts us, but it's true. Thanks for sharing.

lucychili said...

love the smell of wet wool
and saturated greens