Source: Amenic 181/ StockPhoto
Today, at dVerse Poets Pub, Meeting the Bar, Anna has given us directions to bring out the inner logophile in us, to think about our diction or word choices as we write our poem; to build a poem around a favorite word or collecting a vocabulary, maybe to write in the style of a poet we particularly admire. Are we using too many of the same words or phrases? Try building a poem around a favorite word or collecting our vocabulary before writing your verses. She challenges us to find new expression.
I am a longtime admirer of T.S.Eliot, Emily Dickinson, and Basho. Their style and use of simple words or a unique word to convey thought is something that deeply impressed me when I first began reading them. I am using this for dVerse MTB and also as the optional prompt for NaPoWriMo16.
Smell of Rain
Petrichor – odd word.
When a sudden summer shower
Drenches the parched soil,
Or blesses the newly dug soil
Of my garden –
This is that smell.
I do not stand in my garden
Inhaling that marvelous scent
and say in a worshipful whisper:
Petrichor.
But I do breathe in that fragrance
Willing it to fill me – entirely.
Absorbing it slowly – savoring, relishing –
Treasuring it and praying that one day
When I am old and away from such smells
I will remember: Petrichor
I will close my eyes and again smell that fragrance
Of rain on dry soil and allow that memory to
Lead me to gentle sleep.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 20:38:27
i liked how you focused on one word and made it sing
Apr 16, 2015 @ 20:43:40
Thank you. And it is an odd word for such a beautiful smell.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 20:46:57
Kanzen. This is rich, aromatic verbal soil, indeed. You evoke so effectively and beautifully that unmistakeable smell and its abundant promise that I can feel it seeping into my soul….revitalizing, refreshing, inspiring hope. Thank you for the poetic tonic, my friend.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 20:49:47
You are more than welcome. Summer is come – time to dance in the rain!
Apr 16, 2015 @ 21:05:33
I love this line – I will remember: Petrichor ~
The rain has that distinct smell on parched soil ~ I love its drumming lead me to a gentle sleep ~ Very effective use of the senses Toni ~
Apr 16, 2015 @ 23:00:55
Thank you. We all love so much this green smell. I know one of my favorite things in the summer is when the windows are open and the smell and sound of rain are so clear as I go to sleep.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 21:13:42
This smells like what I was talking about in my poem too ☺
Apr 16, 2015 @ 22:56:21
I think several of us had a rain thing going this time. It is a wonderful smell.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 21:48:08
I love that smell, but I didn’t know that is what it is called. Thanks for the new word. I think I even have a use for it. 😉 Peace, Linda
Apr 16, 2015 @ 22:57:13
Hooray! I hope we will get to read that use for this word. And it is an incredible smell. So peaceful and enriching.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 23:13:39
I’ve been working on my memoir and I mention that smell in the opening chapter. Don’t know where it’s getting published, but maybe I’ll post some of it on my blog. 😃
Apr 17, 2015 @ 11:13:22
That is good to know! It will be good to read.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 22:00:28
Olfactory clues conjure sense memories that transport the reader to it/them; for me, living in the rainy state of WA, it is wet maple leaves, & the smell of wet sidewalks & streets after a dry spell; nice job.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 22:58:41
Isn’t it just amazing how different trees have different smells in the rain? I used to live in the of sidewalks but now live in the country. I think of the sheen of wet sidewalks reflected in street lights.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 22:18:06
The kindness of renewal of rain.. on dusty souls of flowers.. is a moisture i lean to as well.. to regain the colors of my soul..:)
Apr 16, 2015 @ 22:59:27
I think it is a smell most of us enjoy and find soothing and renewing. To me, it is all the shades of green.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 23:08:17
What a beautiful word to describe such a wonderful scent. Your poem evokes the magic of sudden summer brilliantly.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 23:10:21
It does have almost a Byzantine sound to it. I discovered the word in an engineering course I was taking.
Apr 16, 2015 @ 23:14:13
It’s amazing what you can learn from engineers 🙂
Apr 17, 2015 @ 11:12:47
Myself is not included, but some of the most wonderful poems I have read have been written by physicists and mathematicians. Sometimes us old staid engineers will surprise you! 😊
Apr 17, 2015 @ 22:03:07
Actually I find the way engineers think fascinating. I’m in awe at how so much of our built environment came about because an engineer figured out how to build it.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 22:05:31
I shall take that compliment on behalf of us all. Thank you! My husband gave me a tee shirt for Christmas – Engineer: If it isn’t broken, take it apart anyway. I had a good laugh over that.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 00:16:48
whoa, who knew there was a word for that amazing smell!! Seriously, one of my favorite things to do is go for a walk right after it rains… The grey skies, the scent. the quietness… the atmosphere is just so peaceful.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 11:09:52
It is indeed a wondrous time to take a walk. Or to leave the windows open in the summer so one can go to sleep during a rain and be able to smell that smell.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 01:16:19
I first encountered petrichor in a poem so it’s lovely to encounter it again in your poem. I wonder what words will stick with me to the end. Wonderful response to the prompt.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 11:08:18
I first encountered this word in an engineering course years ago. And because of the love for the smell, this part of the lesson with the science behind it, really stuck with me through the years. It has been interesting, as always, to read the different takes on the prompt. I’ll be stopping back by again to read the other poems submitted since my last visit last night. So much talent in the pub. It is most satisfactory to discover this word has been used in another poem. It makes me want to do a search to discover others. thank you for the prompt and thank you for letting me know about the other poem.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 02:07:09
Of all the MTB poems I have read this morning,this one smells sweetest. You have fulfilled the prompt in a different way from others, focusing on that one striking word, and I applaud.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 11:03:21
Thank you. I was going for the prompt but then, this just jumped out of my heart. I find it awesome that so many people, all over the world relate to this smell and the joy it brings them. And odd word I learned in an engineering course years ago. But obviously, the lesson about the science behind that smell took!
Apr 17, 2015 @ 04:00:30
That word brings so much memory to mind.. I think there is so much change embedded in that single word, the way it evoke a feeling…I also like that you included the explanation and let those that are not running through dictionaries appreciate the poetry..
Apr 17, 2015 @ 14:47:54
Thank you. it seems to be a universal source of memories and feelings about that smell. That people (and a special dog, Clowie, whose blog I follow) in Sweden, Iowa, the Pyrenees, male, female, canine, all love the smell and relate to it. I learned this word years ago in an engineering class. It and the science behind the world has always astounded me. I wrote the poem for the prompt, but it ended up being for me and also for others. I wanted those people to enjoy it and to remember the smell without having to stop in the reading process and look up the word. I think that is important in our reading and understanding and pleasure of poetry.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 08:25:20
I love the smell when it rains after a dry spell!
Apr 17, 2015 @ 10:59:40
I do too! And it is so very good to hear from you, my friend. I was thinking about you the other day. Jack’s biped brought him for a walk through the neighborhood so I gave you a hug through him and one for himself.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 11:35:34
It was a very nice hug.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 13:00:09
💗 💗 💗 I am so glad! It was indeed a very good hug.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 08:36:36
Even had I lost my sense of smell for many years, this poem would evoke the memory of Petrichor.
Absolutely magnificent poem, Kanzen. ❤ ❤
Apr 17, 2015 @ 10:58:28
Thank you. It’s one of those heart things that wrote itself.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 20:37:27
This IS awesome.
I have two sisters who have lost their sense of smell. The one who has been without it the longest sometimes mentions things she can ‘almost’ smell. I remembered this when I read your poem today. I cannot fathom it but I hope some memories never die. ❤
Apr 17, 2015 @ 21:22:35
Me too. if I have to be someplace institutional when I die, I hope I smell instead the smell of rain rather than the institution smells.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 08:53:54
Oh yes. Nothing is better than the smell of rain, anytime, anywhere. ❤
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:11:01
💗
Apr 17, 2015 @ 21:33:38
Oh yes. Many times smell going away has to do with, besides aging, physical conditions – mineral deficiencies. Zinc is supposed to help – taken according to directions on the bottle and not just crammed in because if a little is good, more must be better – that frame of thought. Generic, regular zinc….I know someone who did take it. It took awhile, but it did help. Of course, report any side effects, allergic reactions, blah blah blah to the MD.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 08:58:11
The one sister lost hers many years ago and has had all kinds of tests. I do believe she has been using zinc (I don’t know how) and says sometimes she thinks she can almost smell some things. She’s not sure if it’s the memory of the smell or if she is having a read experience. I can’t imagine her life.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:09:45
I had a friend who lost his sense of smell. He said it was horrible
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:41:21
I can’t imagine it. Even my sisters can’t explain it. I asked the older of the two if she made sure she took the garbage out regularly. In the days when she wore perfume, I asked her how she knew if she hadn’t overdone it.
The smell of food is a joy as well. Things on the stove in the oven. Being outside, at the beach, in the fall, anytime. So much to miss.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:47:05
Not mention, the smells of a clean baby or when cooking, how to flavor food. I lost my smell fro about 8 weeks after my surgery. It was like going around sealed in plastic. It was almost like a kind of deafness. I felt off balance. And I couldn’t taste nuances, just a bit of sweet or salty. Not to mention the basic part of our “tribal” sense of smell, the smell of family, although we are not conscious of it as in ages past, but it is still there.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:57:12
Everything you mention–what a loss. Seasoning would get me. Mary has told me she can almost taste the food she eats.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 10:00:16
I would miss that. I have worked to develop my palate ad if I lost that, it would be a terrible thing.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 10:02:17
Exactly. That’s a huge part of your life.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 11:13:15
yeppers! 😁
Apr 17, 2015 @ 10:19:27
It certainly is an odd word for such a beautiful scent…thanks for clarifying with your fragrant words! Makes me anticipate another good rain on our rich Iowa soil…not least, for the smell 🙂
Apr 17, 2015 @ 10:57:58
Iowa! How amazing that this smell is so universal and many people enjoy.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 12:15:17
We having been experiencing many days of rain – just love that smell! and it is such an odd word Petrichor!
Apr 17, 2015 @ 12:59:31
It is an odd word but yet, it is really cool.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 13:40:39
Definitely, a lovely nostalgic fragrance which recalls in me certain places, times, events,, including baseball season and picnics and horseback riding…love the word and your response to the prompt!
Apr 17, 2015 @ 18:14:47
Everyone loves this word and the memories it evokes. The smell of rain is something people everywhere love.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 14:49:42
Petrichor is not the easiest word to work into a sensitive poem and you’ve done it beautifully.
Apr 17, 2015 @ 15:41:17
Thank you! It is a favorite word. I like the almost Byzantine sound of it and to be able to say the word and have my brain conjure up that smell….
Apr 18, 2015 @ 03:46:12
Wow. Thank you for the new word! And so beautifully written 🙂
We don’t have rain in the summer but we do have the first rain by the end of it. It IS a delicious smell. I can’t even imagine not liking it…
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:26:55
It is rare indeed the person who does not like that smell. You must be in Australia! And no, you do not have to give me your location as I know most people very correctly maintain some safety measures. I am so glad you enjoyed the new word and thank you for your kind words.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 10:36:53
Not oz, no. And yes – very security conscious… (as I aught to be), though I thought the Hebrew as a native language will be an obvious give away 🙂
Apr 18, 2015 @ 11:12:24
Duh…that didn’t even register when you spoke of the rainy season. I have so many folk from Oz. Now I know. And yes, I think being careful is a good thing, a safe thing. I now visualize your website…
Apr 18, 2015 @ 08:29:48
I never knew the word, but have spoken of the smell often — imbibing in pleasure even more frequently. Your poem drove me to the wiki article to read on it — the science there was fascinating.
Really enjoyed the poem.
BTW, on a side note: I am a blogger and love when people interact with my blog and long thread of dialogue develope (though I am not nurturing blogging much these days). And when I first came to poetry blogs I looked for that. But it is not there. People on poetry blogs rarely follow their comments. So any reply you make to a comment is rarely heard. So for that reason I don’t respond to comments unless the writer asks me a question. It is a bit lonely on poetry blogs because of that, but most folks aren’t there for the dialogue — but to quickly read a poem and have theirs read. I’ve come to accept that limitations because I do enjoy writing and now don’t mind the minimal cordiality.
I do wish people were more critical and questioning on these blogs but that is not the culture either.
Just wanted to let you know why I would never respond to a response to my comment — because I don’t follow comments by e-mail either.
One way around this, that I see people do, is to go over to their poem and let them know what you think. A bit odd, but it is the way some poetry bloggers do it.
Have a great weekend. (oh, because I was verbose here, I will follow for a while)
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:22:13
I have found many people do not respond to responses to comments. Because it is public, many people do not engage because of being hesistant to say things that may be personal. When I first began blogging, a long time blogger took me under his wings to give me what was then considered courteous behavior. One of the things was to always respond to a comment if complimentary with a thank you or other response. if the response is argumentative, then to decide whether it is worth engaging in an argument in a public format. If asked a question, to answer it. Many people do not do that. I have learned to accept that. If people wish to converse, it seems many of them do emails back and forth. I follow several hundred blogs and do not always have time to comment on them as I also write and have other things to occupy my time. many times, people are busy. I do have a few people I have come to know over the years and with them I do have conversations. If you look back over any poems I submitted to dVerse, you will see I always respond to a comment. I am sorry you have not gotten the back and forth you desired. Maybe this would be something for one of the opinion sessions at the Pub.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:24:56
Yeah, I don’t think people who write poetry are generally up for back and forth — or at least the type I enjoy. And that is fine. Seems it is more about warm fuzzy feelings.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:59:25
And warm fuzzy is also a kind of courtesy. If someone writes a poem I do not enjoy or think is bad, it is just my personal opinion and writing such negative things seems unkind and unnecessary. I prefer to comment on the form or a line that touches me in that case. Voice tones cannot be heard on typed communication so one cannot hear the tone or see the facial expressions of the person commenting. It is better, I think to be kind and positive – warm fuzzy as you say, because kindness cannot be misinterpreted. And I have found, many of us poetry folk often feel “outside” the realm of non-poetry people, to feel alienated at times. I don’t want to further that feeling. I myself often feel that way.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 08:32:28
BTW, on a funny linguistic note:
I hate the English word lead — as used in your last line:
“Lead me to gentle sleep.”
Both it and “led” can be read the same with different meaning and yet same verb etc.
Confuses me just like lie and lay.
English can be a royal pain. 😉
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:14:12
You just have to look at the context. Obviously, it would not be the element but a verb. Also, there, their, they’re. But then again, most Americans use them incorrectly as they do your and you’re. Though I must say, Japanese is truly the difficult language.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:20:56
Oh yeah, I got it from the context, but I had to pause and think — weakness of my mind. Funny though. The word choice was good, I was just making a linguistic observation.
”日本語は難しい”と良くいわれってるけど僕はそう思わない！ ：〜）
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:22:00
My browser is set to read Japanese (etc), hope yours is.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:48:10
No, I keep it on English and set it for Japanese when I go to a purely Japanese site.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:53:35
My Japanese is terrible. I only had the opportunity of a long term relationship to learn it – incomplete at best but enough to indulge my love of the country, culture, and at this point, still learning. And being dyslexic doesn’t help! But I do speak and understand – faultily. Like English, it takes years! but I continue to learn. I actually did better with Hebrew and Greek.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 09:59:07
“Hebrew and Greek” — let me guess — ex-Evangelical. I too studied both in my Christian days.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 10:01:03
Still Christian and interested in studying. Also Latin, LOL. Talk to you later. I enjoyed this.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 15:29:33
Petrichor – that is most certainly a new word to me, but I can certainly understand how it was constructed – and there I was, thinking that there is no word for describing that wonderful smell of rain on earth after a dry spell. But the best damp smell is the smell of paddy fields – that is one of my favourite smells in the world. Sadly, not much felt over here in Europe…
Apr 18, 2015 @ 16:27:06
I’m not sure if it is the same smell because of the difference in location, but rice is grown in the US – in paddy fields. In Louisiana, where I lived for a brief time and still visit, there is a lot of above ground shallow water and is perfect for rice and crayfish farming. I know the smell of the fields in the autumn right before rice is harvested. In the winter, the fields are used for wild bird conservation, for the water birds to use as a resting place before migrating back up north in the spring and also, for year round waterfowl. I am acquainted with the smell of paddy fields in Japan. It is a rich smell and is not a brief smell in the manner of petrichor. Happily, I can smell the paddy fields when I visit.
Apr 18, 2015 @ 15:54:58
To think there was a word to describe that lovely smell. I think the word “petrichor” will forever remind me of your poem. Very nice. 🙂
Apr 18, 2015 @ 16:14:22
Thank you. I truly thank you for these words