Dear Senses,
Oh, the pleasure
you bring to my life–
beloved Taste, Touch, Smell, Hearing,
and last, but certainly not least, Sight!
Without you, no doubt,
my world would be bland–
I know for certain, because of you,
everything is more grand!
________
Dearest Taste,
Now honestly, where would I be
if I couldn’t enjoy cookies, chocolates
croissants or ice cream?
Truly, how blah
my life would seem
without your sweet, salty, bitter
sour, and (my fave) umami!
Noshing merely for sustenance,
not pleasure, to simply survive–
how dull without savoring
cheeses, pasta, or fries!
I simply can't imagine
no tasty distinction
between strawberries and raspberries–
I’d rather face my extinction.
How sad not to tell
betwixt the variety of gourds,
parsley and cilantro–
is it flatbread or cardboard?
Taste, without you, no doubt
my world would be bland–
I know for certain with you
everything is more grand!
________
Dear Touch,
Ahhh, my love language,
physical affection–
yes, Touch, I need you
for contact and connection.
Please tell me, if you weren't here,
how on earth would I know
the warmth of the sunshine
or the cold bite of snow?
Without you I couldn’t enjoy
my dog’s fluffy fur.
Besides blood, how could I tell
if I stepped on a burr!?!
I’d be sad not to know
my child's embrace,
the softness of their hair,
or the squishiness of their face.
If I didn’t have you,
there’s so much I would miss–
the magic of a lover's stroke,
and the spark of a kiss.
How could I survive without
the pressure of a hug,
or the steaminess of intimacy?
Yes, Touch you’re my drug.
Without you I wouldn't know
the manifestation of the physical–
dear Touch, without you
life would be purely metaphysical.
Touch, without you, no doubt
my world would be bland–
I know for certain with you
everything is more grand!
________
Dear Smell, you are one
I could not live without–
you add such enhancement,
I need you, no doubt!
Since we taste with our nose before
it reaches our lips,
your job is important,
it’s a sensory eclipse!
You’re nearly as critical
as the tongue is for taste,
transmitting essence of food,
not one waft goes to waste!
How would I distinguish between
Maple syrup and sap,
flowers and weeds,
real cuisine and crap?
Without scent, my mouth wouldn't
water upon smelling fresh bread,
caramelizing onions,
or chili chutney cheese spread.
Oh, if you weren't here, my dear,
my life would be foiled–
I wouldn't know if my leftovers
were edible or spoiled!
I’ve also noticed, dear Smell,
how tightly you’re wound
to so many memories
in my mind that abound.
Just one little Smell
is a mini time machine
to the places I’ve been,
to all the things I have seen.
With you, dear one,
I could not do without–
how sad it would be
to have an olfactory drought!
Smell, without you, no doubt
my world would be bland–
I know for certain with you
everything is more grand!
________
Dear Hearing, oh my,
I’m so happy you’re here!
I’ll never take for granted
the fact I can hear!
I’m grateful to know the sound
of the wind through the trees,
the song of the ocean,
the buzzing of bees.
What fun you provide
filtering jokes and good riddles–
such delight from the bursts
of laughter and giggles.
I’m in love with the sound of
my children’s sweet voices–
even when they’re obnoxious,
I still love their noises!
Another thing I know for certain
I could not live without
is the rhythm of music–
I would crumble, no doubt!
Yes, music has saved me,
healed wounds in my soul–
because I can Hear it
my world is whole.
Hearing, without you, no doubt
my world would be bland–
I know for certain, with you,
everything is more grand!
________
Sight! What can I say
to express how I feel?
I’m so grateful, I adore you
with unabated zeal!
To See is a gift
that not all possess–
it’s not lost on me, because of you
I truly am blessed!
I know I’ve taken you for granted,
not thinking often enough, my dear,
of how different my life would be
if you were not here.
Oh, I simply don't know
how I would survive
without the colors of the sunset
filling my eyes!
Or to place my gaze
on the moon above–
or stare longingly
into the eyes of my love.
My life is enriched by the
things I can See–
the majesty of mountains,
the changing leaves on the trees.
I would not know the colors
that fill in rainbows above,
the dark black of the crow,
or the white of the dove.
I couldn't enjoy the smiles
that light up a room,
or the spring’s new blossoms
bursting forth in bloom.
The things in my world would
be gathered from gleaning
the experiences of others
to give my life meaning.
I’m in love with the World
because of precious ole’ you–
I promise to honor you by observing
the beautiful gifts in my view.
Sight, without you, no doubt
my world would be bland–
I know for certain with you
everything is more grand!
________
One thing I must mention
before this is done,
without you, dear Brain, my senses
would be... well…there’d be none.
So as a P.S., I’d like to thank you
big white matter of energy–
because of you my senses
orchestrate with beautiful synergy!
Dear Brain, without you, no doubt
my world would be…non-existent.
So, thank you for being
my Senses’ vital assistant!
________
I hope my letter finds you well,
Brain, Taste, Touch, Smell,
Hear, and See!
Sincerely,
Yours Truly
(literally)
About the Creator
Kristen Balyeat
Words fly to me on the wind, bump into me as I'm strolling the city, splash me in the face while I rest by the river, and shake me awake in the middle of the night– I’m humbly one of the many vessels they use to come to life.
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Comments (29)
Can't imagine how this sneaked by me. Great work, Kristen!
I love this and all the detail you put into it. Please, if you have time, read my Five Senses poem.
Haha clever you, republishing this for different challenges! Love that, and I enjoyed this ode! You manage a fun and energetic effusion of appreciation and I loved how specific you got for each sense, especially all the foods you mention; now I’m hungry. 🎊💕
I love the way you captured each sense, and made me feel the emotion of each
This is wonderful! We sometimes take our senses for granted and it's nice to be reminded to appreciate them. I love how you ended each stanza with the same phrase.
This poem was the inspiration for this weeks theme ✨❤️ https://vocal.media/writers/lust-for-words-3
Love it!
A sensory explosion so filled with devotion, I try to abstain but this fills with emotion o'er senses distracted, acuteness subtracted, once taken for granted, now missed so protracted. BTW, loved the ode, Kristen.
Omgggg, you're truly so talented. This is the Sensation challenge, Epistolary challenge and Ode challenge all in one! You're brilliant!
Brilliant, brilliant work! I’m so glad I’m reading this in the morning because your poem has supercharged my appreciation levels ❤️✨🙏😇 thank you!
☺️👏Nice work Kristen & avid gratitude evident throughout that probably makes one/you experience these senses more strongly. How much we so easily take for granted right!😃
Oh this is just wonderful. Love it.
What a beautiful, wonderful poem full of gratitude. I adore this, Kristen. Umami is my favourite too. x
Sorry all, I had to edit the subtitle so it's republishing as new. Wish we could edit without that happening!
What a great idea for the epistolary challenge! Good luck. I'm really enjoying those subtle little tidbits of humour you slip in slyly- makes me grin every time. A writing exercise I often gave my students was to write a narrative (I never stipulated the form) without using sight. The idea was to get them to work on describing other senses since we (me too) often over emphasize seeing. This piece would have made a useful primer for them, and I wish I could have used it many years ago. (I would have asked first, promise.) Oh well, timing really is everything...
This was a good reminder that we are truly blessed. Thank you for taking a dive into the senses and connecting it all with the almighty power-center of the brain. Great read, Kristen.
Loved this poem! It’s a beautiful reminder of the senses we take for granted! I’ll print this and hang it in my wall. Your words are beautiful,, and it’s clear they come from personal belief and experience! Another great one by you!
Kristin, this is absolutely amazing!
So wonderfully written, Kristen! I love it 💕🙂
What a great idea and so well executed! Your joy and enthusiasm is infectious and your words flow so beautifully. There were also some very funny lines in there. This poem's got it all! :)
Great poem that reflects on things that we all take for granted most of the time. its unfortunate, but the old "you never appreciate it until its gone" is so true, so we should every now and then stop and be grateful for it all. I'm thankful for my health and by extension my senses.
Thank you for sharing your expertise.
So much we take for granted and you have encapsulated it beautifully!
Kristen, this poem was delightful! I love how it just filled me with gratitude while reading it. There really is so much in life to be thankful for--thanks for the wonderful reminder!! 🥰
This was truly amazing! It just kept getting better the more I read! Absolutely fantastic!