The Sweetness of Sawdust
The sweet smell of sawdust took her on a ride to her childhood,
like looking out the window while riding the northbound train.
Her father, a woodworker gave her a bag of sawdust and wood shavings
to play with, simple objects to amuse her for hours.
She pulled out the odd shaped shavings and lined them up,
train cars to carry her dreams to unknow destinations.
She learned to identify wood sources from the scents and colors,
cedar, oak, pine, hickory, birch and the coveted mahogany.
Shavings and dust mixed up, culinary delights to place on doll
plates as delectable desserts from his workshop.
Perfumed wood, a gallery of scents and hues, as if in blown glass
bohemian decanters lined up on her windowsill.
12 thoughts on "The Sweetness of Sawdust"
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Lee – Your work this year is just amazing! All the details and sensual elements work so well. Mixing smells and memory creates such wonder and are just delicious to recall. “Shavings and dust mixed up, culinary delights to place on doll/plates as delectable desserts from his workshop.” – love this.
This means so much to me. Thank you.
I love how the smell of sawdust starts a train of specific memories. Combining the masculine association with your father sawdust with your feminine memories of doll houses and childhood play on provides the perfect balance. Excellent!
I love this comment. Thank you. I had not even noticed that particular balance.
I would like to say that these two women speak my mind.
I would like to add my voice to the choir. Your work this year is amazing. And this poem is so poignant, so balanced and so perfect I cant even comment on it.
Bravo, for the poem, For the month so far and please write more. Thank you for sharing them.
I sincerely appreciate this validation. Thank you for joining this particular choir. It means a lot.
love the journey that the smell of sawdust evoked.
fav line of all these beauties:
She pulled out the odd shaped shavings and lined them up,
train cars to carry her dreams to unknow destinations.
Thanks Pam, I have been experimenting with incorporating more “smells” in my writing after taking a memoir writing class that emphasized the use of smell in writing.
Rich and vivid. I feel and experience the authentic heart of your poignant poetry: “train cars to carry her dreams to unknown destinations.”
Thank you for the beautiful comment.
You really take us into this scene with all of the senses. That last couplet really hits it out of the park: “Perfumed wood, a gallery of scents and hues, as if in blown glass” Yes.
This is so validating. Thank you. I kept changing the last couplet, so am glad I decided to keep it.