Just today, I
found you again.
In a scent, your
face touched my skin
I opened the bottle, and
my breath was taken.
There you stood with me,
an old flame awakened.
“Japanese Cherry Blossoms”
labeled the pink petaled perfume.
Although to me, it labeled you.
A familiar aroma of love in bloom
Like a tsunami tidal wave,
recollections of you and I drowned me.
Quenching my affections waking thirst,
reminiscing of what once was we.
Our hearts, I once wrongly laid
to tomb. I too late realized, I knew,
a flickering flame, now inferno
was always & forever true.
This scent of Sakura,
I carry with me from today.
For as long as I have it,
you won’t feel so far away.
Share
how evocotive, travis my friend. this is beautiful.
it also evokes a lot of traditional qualities as found in japanese literature and art. the japanese as you know, are somewhat obsessed with change and the mortality of seasons. the leaves falling from the sakura like snow, fleeting thunderstorms, illness, courtship, short affairs, life itself; all quick and almost tragic moments in time. it’s just that too, isn’t it, a moment in time?
the poem is about a past romance, about the wave of scent that reminds us of that romance. like a ghost of a past lover coming back to haunt.
how very lovely, very old and very strange all of this.
the poem did so much for me with these thoughts in mind, with japanese aethetics in mind. thank you very very much for this poem.
Katy, Thank you for your wonderful insight into my poem, and I’m glad you were touched. Living in Okinawa, Japan for some time and loving it, I find myself accenting my poems quite a bit in a Japanese flavor.
lingering.. simply beautiful..
lingering… I like that word.
This poem speaks volumes about who you are and where you’ve been. Not only in your travels, but emotionally as well. A heart that has loved, a soul that remembers and a deep longing with the talent to express it. Good thing I’m locked in the tomb or I’d go on and on! Shirley :)
HEHEHE, sorry about that Shirley. The key just fell in.
Thank you for your insight to this poem. You were able to gather a lot from it about me (the author). Amazingly accurate as well.
don’t I always call your work multi-dimentional? My wife died four years ago at age 45 and I experience feelings you have evoked since then – timeless intimacy – lovely
Bradford, thank you, and I think that is so sweet you still have that timeless intimacy with your wife. I’m glad you were able to relate to this poem. I feel Its a romantic, happy, yet at the same time sad feeling. The loss of someone or something that we had attached ourselves to causes the sadness and pain, yet the experience and love we shared with that someone or something never burns out.
oh my. this poem; and others have swept me away. beautiful pieces. Oh my goodness Travis, i love your poetry. :)
Thank you Darsh! I appreciate you expressing your feelings!