A Long Weekend in May - May 20 2024

 

A Long Weekend in May

May 20 2024

Walking the dogs

beside the river

near the end of May,

the fresh spring air

is alive with scent.

It’s not yet summer here

but my nose is tempting me.

Not just the pine

balsam

spruce

that line the winding path.

Not just the fertile soil

that smells of loamy earth.

But also burgers

sizzling on the grill,

woodsmoke

from bonfires

they can't help building higher,

and fresh cut grass

mixed with gas exhaust.

The pong of wet dog,

who have braved the frigid water

still running-off

from a late winter thaw.

As well as a strong whiff of pot,

left behind

by other walkers

out to clear their heads,

a sweet skunky odor

that clings to the air

and won’t let go.

It would have been cigarettes

back when,

but who smokes these days?

We are visual creatures

and only notice smell

when it overwhelms

or strikes a chord.

The promise of spring.

Nostalgia

revulsion

despair.

A long lost love

a scent reminds you of,

and that golden summer

that overnight

turned to dross.

Tomorrow

a return to work

and the final month of school.

But for now

squeals of laughter

where friends have gathered

around a backyard fire,

along with the sound of breaking glass

and a few choice words

from hot-tempered men

downing too many beers.

And the roar of the river

running fast and high;

water

that in the fullness of time

will find its way to the sea

thousands of miles from here.