{ olfactory } - yogi. mama. photographer. soul. austin, tx

I rode through fetor.
Old trash, misfortune, waste.
With my forearm to my nose I sped.
Not wanting to allow a single breath to be invaded by something so foul.
Wishing for cut grass, jasmine, even my own well earned sweat to overpower the stench.
I felt hot air.
The horrid odor magnified.
Downhill, finally a cool breeze, wafting to me a fragrance of my essence.
The scent of amber, obviously, but something else.
So much more that I closed my eyes and prayed for the words to capture this relief.
Alone I pedaled.
No traffic, no company, and still I could smell everyone. everything.
From long ago to future, it hit me.
There was chicken spaghetti and Johnson's baby oil.
For a moment I'm sure I caught Sunflowers from the Summer I was 12.
Oribe, that must be my conditioner.
Our scent of sweet-musky intimacy, not possible, but so alive.
The tobacco and tractors of RMA, coffee served black.
Mind reeling, memories flooding.
Overwhelmed and excited by all of these aromas, my mind grasped the truth.
Like a soundtrack for the ears, there is a symphony that plays the story of my life through scent.
I inhaled deeper.
It's all inside, untarnished and able to evoke every emotion.
At this realization I looked up, abandoning the road.
The clouds, the smells, the feathers, everything...
Settled inside and my heart consumed the air.