Saturday, June 5, 2010

optimism


Two days ago, I was sure I smelled a gardenia.
I was sitting in traffic at the time, so it was obviously an aromatic hallucination.
Tail pipes notwithstanding, I was possessed by the fragrance.
Though the climate here will surely kill it,
I bought a gardenia plant today.


It's like chocolate; sometimes, you just gotta have it.

7 comments:

Katherine van Schoonhoven said...

Gardenias have a distinctive fragrance -- and sweet compared to the carbon monoxide poison of traffic. One of my mother's closest friends (when I was a kid) wore "Jungle Gardenia" perfume. Whenever I smell gardenias, I think of Gretchen. And smile. She smelled sweet but she had the longest chin hairs I've ever seen on a woman!

Janelle Goodwin said...

When I was in high school biology class, my lab partner wore gardenia scented perfume. It sure helped cover up the smell of formaldehyde!

SamArtDog said...

You compare their "distinctive fragrance" to carbon monoxide poisoning, eh? Well, gardenias may not be your favorite, but you have to admit they are evocative. Hell, they brought back sweet Gretchen, albeit by the hairs on her chinny-chin-chin.

I predict there will come a time when we'll all appreciate anything that stirs our memory. For me, that happened to be in a vacant moment in traffic. Believe me, I was grateful for the distraction.

SamArtDog said...

See? Ya gotta respect anything that can nuke tail pipes and formaldehyde!

Katherine van Schoonhoven said...

Ummm ... I think I read that you noticed the gardenia's sweet fragrance while you were driving in traffic (the carbon monoxide poison). Hahaha! It was sweet to remember Gretchen. She was devastated when they stopped making that perfume. Thanks for the memory tour!

loriann signori said...

gardenias are dreamy. your photo reminded me of how much i love that smell. thanks sam!

SamArtDog said...

Loriann

All I did was mention them. Gardenias are the ones which reminded you. Memory scents are remarkable.