Autumnal Scents

Autumn,

the season of change, of transition,

is one of decomposition

and a strange, mysterious and intoxicating concoction of satisfying and dramatic odours.

The scent of burnt wood and ash in the air

the way it clings to your clothes, skin and hair

the rotting pungent scent of the dying Jack-O-Lanterns that have been left on the doorsteps creating a strangely comforting autumnal bouquet of perfumed decay sweetened by the apples that have fallen from the trees, discarded and left to slowly turn rancid, avoiding the violent end of waterboarding and being eaten alive or being burned alive and covered in a sickly sweet glass-like embalming fluid before facing the same end as their waterboarded bretherin.

For a season of change, a season of inevitable, scheduled death and waste, there is a delightful, earthy and spicy aroma to the autumn, one that will disappear in due time and gradually diminish as the temperature drops and the detoxification, and self sanitation begins during winter.

Until then, enjoy revelling in the sobering, relaxing and heady nose of cinnamon, firewood, ash, moulding fruit, dead leaves and gunpowder.

Walk through the woods and savour the oddly calming and natural stench of the world around you recycling and refreshing itself.

Inhale all the wonderful smells, the sweet and the spicy, the aromatic and the putrid.

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Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: This piece was inspired by a suggestion made by the wonderful Brin. J in the comments section of my poem Spitting Feathers, which you can read by following this link:

In the words of the woman herself:

"I'm curious Paul, if you could write a poem on the subject of scents? It could be dark, like the smell of smoke, or beautiful, like the smell of lavender. A thing that evokes some type of response, so we can all imagine breathing it in and sharing the emotion as we follow along.

I'd love to read it."

Hope you enjoy it, Brin and everyone else. I really tried on the scents thing...might do another take a different time, but I'm happy with it for now. Please be sure to check out Brin's writing, as she is exceptionally talented:

Here are a few other pieces you might like:

You can also look at my profile for more right here.