A Sense of Place: CITY SIDEWALK – smell
A Sense of Place
In his essay ‘So:ba’, given at the International Haiku Conference (SUNY Plattsburgh, NY, 2008) and published serially in Frogpond, Jim Kacian discusses the concept of ba:
“If you look up ba in any Japanese-English Dictionary you’ll find it means “place” or “site” or “occasion”. And these are all true in the most general sense—ba is a pointer to a kind of awareness that something of importance is happening in time and space.”
So here we are…
In the following weeks we will get back to haiku basics and explore specific locations with an emphasis on the senses, and with the intention of improving our own haiku practice. Ideally, participants will select an actual location that they can visit, or a location from memory that they have visited in the past. Failing that, we always have our imaginations – and you’re invited to join in the fun! Submit an original unpublished poem (or poems) via our Contact Form by Sunday midnight on the theme of the week, including your name as you would like it to appear, and place of residence. I will select from these for the column, and add commentary.
next week’s theme: CITY SIDEWALK – taste
We remain on city sidewalks – if possible, the same one as in previous weeks – but now we explore the sense of taste… the deadline for this theme is midnight Pacific Time, Sunday 16 December 2018.
I look forward to reading your submissions.
A Sense of Place: CITY SIDEWALK – smell
spring in the air
lily-of-the-valley
from a sidewalk laundromatIngrid Baluchi
Ohrid, Macedonia
Some will argue that the makers of various air fresheners and laundry cleaning products actually do not know what spring smells like…
Christmas streets
slowing down near
the chestnut vendorLucy Whitehead
Essex, UK
There are many chestnut vendors on the streets if this blog is any indication – not so much in Whitehorse, though – in this poem, the reader is not sure if any purchases are made, only that on Christmas streets, one might choose to linger there…
city sidewalk –
the scent of peppermint gum
on my shoeMichael H. Lester
Los Angeles CA USA
Another example of an event common to many of us, yet here both the theme of location and the sense of smell are brought together without effort, and again, without judgment…
block party
the canine officer
on patrolPat Davis
Pembroke, NH
Here the sense of smell is taken a little further – the themes are not specifically mentioned, so there is something here for the reader to figure out – and the result, as in all good haiku, is worth it!
Here are the rest of my selections for this week:
late night walk
the lingering scent
of a burning cookerAdjei Agyei-Baah
Pavlov’s dog the restaurant’s window
Adrian Bouter
winter ends
unpacking
the smell of sidewalkAgus Maulana Sunjaya
Tangerang, Indonesia
sidewalk waltz
the aroma of rain
and coffeeAlan Summers
West Village garden
closed for renovations
smelling of urineAmy Losak
passing on foot –
the smell of pizza
on the tablespassando a piedi –
l’odore della pizza
sui tavoliniAngela Giordano
alley to the sea
smell of algae
in the moist airAngiola Inglese
sidewalk carts
fajita smoke drifts
from the plazaAnn K. Schwader
deep winter –
the smell of spring rolls
in China townAnna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo
red light
a familiar fragrance
near the street lampAnthony Rabang
masala chai
in an alien street
a whiff of homearvinder kaur
Chandigarh, India
hotdog vendor
I order a chili-dog
with onionsBarbara Tate
sidewalk traffic
scent of roasted corn
holds a crowdBlessed Ayeyame
Ughelli, Nigeria
old Saigon –
smell of fish, lust
exhaust and fearBob Whitmire
Round Pond, Maine
rush hour
a whiff of my perfume
walks byBona Santos
trying on
another’s airs
perfume cartC.R. Harper
city street
waving goodbye inside
the bus exhaustCarol Raisfeld
chainsaw juggler
Venice Beach boardwalk
spectators smell bloodCharles Harmon
Los Angeles, California, USA
barefoot monks
the flow of amber incense
down temple walkChristina Chin
Kuching, Sarawak
at the bus stop
her subtle scent
seducesChristina Pecoraro
a cat
tracking a rat
city sidewalkChristina Sng
Paris in smoke
above the pavement
Gauloises hover…(Gauloises: pungent French cigarettes)
Christine Eales
UK
holiday décor
cinnamon scents
most storesClaire Vogel Camargo
narrow streets
the sudden embrace
of honeysuckleDebbi Antebi
London, UK
I close city eyes
and smell the forest
Christmas tree lotDeborah P Kolodji
Temple City, California
early morning
down a street
dumpster divingDevin Harrison
scents wafting
from several food carts
today’s pick – pizzadianne moritz
stinging nostrils
the cold that makes
stars cryErin Castaldi
walking on the sidewalk
the smell of a warm soup
brings me homeEufemia Griffo
Washington Square
a Sunday stroll
with high societyGarry Eaton
bless the neighbor
who plants roses
by the curb(I planted roses right next to the sidewalk. It is a joy to look out my writing window and see joggers and dog walkers and just walkers stop and smell the roses.)
Genie Nakano
Gardena, CA USA
cold wind –
the narrow alley
smells of focacciaGiovanna Restuccia
solo una strada e ridere di niente:
profumo di bacijust a road and laugh at nothing:
perfume of kissesGiuliana Ravaglia
smell
of a drinking song
from my neighborhood pubGreer Woodward
Waimea, HI
Delhi dawn
the steam of cow pats
and chaiHazel Hall
inner city street
the dog sniffs
every shadowHifsa Ashraf
Pakistan
teriyaki chicken
I follow my nose
insideIsabel Caves
Auckland, New Zealand
on the sidewalk
the scent of rain
and childhood memoriesJackie Chou
Pico Rivera, CA, USA
at King Street
a spicy aroma
my pulse risesjanice munro
Canada
paperboy hawks
the sweet smell
of mendacityJoan Barrett
Whitesboro, NY
passing a queue
just a whiff
of mothers perfumeJoanne van Helvoort
weekend sidewalk –
the smell of brunch
and spilt beerJohn S Green
Bellingham, WA
bus stop –
the smell of popcorn
around the squareJulia Guzmán
stick figures
in the rain
the scent of chalkKath Abela Wilson
Bustling sidewalk
I smell before I see
Mounted policeKimberly Spring
Lakewood, Ohio
walking behind
a man with a cigarette
my every breath a dragLaurie Greer
Washington DC
unseen
the smell of weed
on the sidewalkLori Zajkowski
waiting in the rain
a matted mutt fills the street
with despairm. shane pruett
salem, OR, USA
Xmas window shopping
a collision of perfumes
swirl pastMadhuri Pillai
what’s that? Oh! Gag me!
black and white carcass
in the gutterMarcyn Del Clements
Claremont, CA, USA
the pot shop door opens memories
Margaret Walker
popcorn smells
greeting me
every corner I turnMargo Williams
Stayton, Oregon
city sidewalk –
even the spring breeze
smells of smogMaria Teresa Piras
Christmas stalls –
sidewalk smells
of traffic and donutsMaria Teresa Sisti
poodle caca
with a hint of teargas
Paris lanewayMarietta McGregor
city tour
following a dog walker
the guide’s misstepMarilyn Ashbaugh
Edwardsburg, Michigan
smell of urine –
foul words written
on the shop shutterMarina Bellini
street corner
the peppermint taint
of a passing cloudMark Gilbert
UK
city sidewalk
the musk of leaves
in the gutterMartha Magenta
England, UK
on crowded concrete –
a sudden forest
of fresh cut firMaryEllen Gambutti
Sarasota, FL
Easter
scent of the white magnolia
in front of my houseMegumi Shibuya
Japan
From the sidewalk –
the smell of fresh tar
on the roadmichael ceraolo
South Euclid, Ohio
Bourbon Street
the smell of Mardi Gras
washed off the walkMichael Henry Lee
bus stop spliffs sweet whiff
Mike Gallagher
Listowel, Ireland
petrichor emanates
from the city sidewalks
clouds pregnant with rainMike Stinson
Omaha, Nebraska
overnight rain –
the overflowing gutter
greets my noseMohammad Azim Khan
Pakistan
rush hour
the bus belches
diesel fumesNancy Brady
Huron, Ohio
morning walk
recognize garlic
on her breadNeni Rusliana
Indonesia
morning stroll
the same smell of fresh croissants
sidewalk hawkernuky kristijono
first snowflakes…
at the corner of the street
roasted chestnutsOlivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland
inhaling
the day’s first coffee
sidewalk cafePauline O’Carolan
cheap after-shave smoking on the corner
Philip Whitley
SC, USA
ten pounds to go
wafts of souvlaki drift
from the caféPris Campbell
street market
flooding the city
with festive scentsRachel Sutcliffe
pre dawn walk
coffee aroma
all aroundRadhamani sarma
Chennai
tacky sidewalk lighting
the candy floss smell
on my daughter’s cheeksRadostina Dragostinova
Bulgaria
sidewalk to the beach
a fence row
of white rosesRandy Brooks
sidewalk creeper
the smells of hometown
in the crushed jasmineRashmi Vesa
each block
scent of a different country
walking down BroadwayRehn Kovacic
scent of myrrh
in the streetside manger
a homeless manRoberta Beary
County Mayo, Ireland
even in rosy moonlight
i know –
eucalyptus leavesrobyn brooks
usa
street grate breathes
rumble from late trains
whiff of nightsweatsron scully
city bakery
unplanned detour
to the officeRonald K. Craig
Batavia, OH USA
autumn –
smell of roast chestnuts
along the streetsRosa Maria Di Salvatore
street food aromas
no translation
requiredRuth Powell
leaving yoga class
I take a deep inhale
sidewalk sewer grateSari Grandstaff
Saugerties, NY, USA
corner pastry store
pre-christmas air
with vanilla scentSerhiy Shpychenko
Kyiv, UA
New Delhi sidewalks
the fragrance of curries
too weak to walk onshandon land
leaving the office
smell of the late edition
of newspaperSlobodan Pupovac
Zagreb, Croatia
city café
in the coffee cup smell
the ripples between usStephen A. Peters
outside the rehab
first steps with his walker –
the smell of victorySusan Rogers
Los Angeles, CA, USA
tropical stir
the scents of laundry
bend my bead doorTad Wojnicki
wet asphalt
and cheap whiskey
the smell of shattered dreamsTerri French
first time in the city –
a stranger cloaked
in mom’s perfumeTia Haynes
Lakewood, Ohio, USA
her perfume…
follows her footsteps
in the crowdTomislav Maretic
a back alley
from the bar doorway
yakitori smoke(Yakitori are grilled fowl skewers. Yakitori are commonly cooked over charcoal fire. (Japanese style))
Tomoko Nakata
Kanagawa, Japan
sidewalk stalls
crowd festival
aroma menuTrilla Pando
Houston, Texas
chilly day…
the warm aroma from the
sidewalk bakeryTsanka Shishkova
a passerby –
her smile surrounded
by perfumeValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
postfight walk
my tummy grumbles
near a bakeryVandana Parashar
rush hour
a smell of roasted chestnuts
changes my plansVessislava Savova
sidewalk kiosk
exhaust fumes failing to mar
aroma of coffeeVishnu Kapoor
Katherine Munro lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and publishes under the name kjmunro. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada and an Associate Member of the League of Canadian Poets. She recently co-edited an anthology of crime-themed haiku called Body of Evidence: a collection of killer ’ku.
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walking for miles
through dark city streets
my anger cools down
Pamela A. Babusci
Rochester, NY USA
thanks to all the poets once again – & to Charles, Garry, Nancy, S. Radhamani, Ingrid, Margo, Valentina, Tad, MaryEllen, Janice, Trilla, Sari, Margaret, Rehn, Christina, Pat, Mike, Rashmi, Erin, & Jackie for your comments here – as I have said many times, I couldn’t do this without you!
Every one of these poems an evocative sidewalk impression.
Here are only a few of my favorites:
Terri French – ‘wet asphalt’ ;
Susan Rogers – ‘outside the rehab’ ;
shandon land – ‘New Delhi sidewalks’ ;
Serhiy Shpychenko – ‘corner pastry store’ ;
Radostina Dragostinova – ‘tacky sidewalk lighting’ ;
Pris Campbell – ‘ten pounds to go’ ;
Michael H. Lester – ‘city sidewalk-’ ;
Philip Whitley – ‘cheap aftershave
Adrian Bouter – ‘Pavlov’s dog’
Debbi Antebi – ‘narrow streets’
Michael Henry Lee – ‘Bourbon Street
Erin Castaldi – ‘stinging nostrils
Greer Woodward – ‘smell/of a drinking song
Mohammad Azim Khan – ‘overnight rain-‘
Roberta Beary – ‘scent of myrrh’
Hi kJ,
Thanks for including my haiku along with the work of so many wonderful poets.
Congratulations to all!!
Thank you Kathy for the selection and insights.There is a whole array of ‘smells’ to discern in the walk out of home now and one cannot be vigilant enough !
Some poems which stood out were,
her perfume…
follows her footsteps
in the crowd
Tomislav Maretic
The third line is a surprise, juxtaposed well, ‘in the crowd’ ,possibly someone so wrapped in herself that she ‘s aloof and stands out.Or someone so fastidious about her appearance that she has a regimen she faithfully adheres to irrespective of the ecosystem.
first time in the city –
a stranger cloaked
in mom’s perfume
Tia Haynes
How we long for and look for the familiar in a new place, and seek comfort even in random ,remote connects.
Thank you, kj, for including my haiku again. My favourites this week:
I liked the rhythm of
barefoot monks
the flow of amber incense
down temple walk
Christina Chin
Kuching, Sarawak
I was reminded of the bustle and aromas of street markets in London by:
street market
flooding the city
with festive scents
Rachel Sutcliffe
Hi Kathy, Thanks for your comments about my “block party” poem! I’d like to highlight these poems: Kathabela Wilson’s “stick figures” ku brought back memories of writing on the sidewalk. Chalk does have a scent all its own! This poem mentions rain mixing with it, which could also suggest another unseen scent under the chalk drawings- being that sidewalks are not very clean. Michael H. Lester’s “peppermint” made me remember the times I arrived home with the smell of something stuck to my shoe – including gum! Madhuri Pillai’s “Xmas window shopping” ku made me think of how strong some perfumes are, and that colliding with people wearing even a dab is enough to create a “collision” of scents, and a telling facial expression!
Thanks, Kathy, and poets for the this week’s mix of
scents, smells, perfumes and aromas.
.
Loved the combination of scents in
.
old Saigon –
smell of fish, lust
exhaust and fear…….. ( by Bob Whitmire).
.
Given Paris riots, found sad and powerful both
.
Paris in smoke
above the pavement
Gauloises hover…. ( by Christine Eales) and
.
poodle caca
with a hint of teargas
Paris laneway …. ( by Marietta McGregor).
.
Was instantly transported from city to woods in both
.
I close city eyes
and smell the forest
Christmas tree lot……. ( by Deborah P Kolodji) and
.
on crowded concrete –
a sudden forest
of fresh cut fir………. ( by MaryEllen Gambuti)
.
“the cold that makes / stars cry” — poetic and potent in
.
stinging nostrils
the cold that makes
stars cry………. ( by Erin Castaldi).
.
Margaret Walker’s marvelous one-liner speaks volumes
.
the pot shop door opens memories
.
Enjoyed the true and well-wrought
.
each block
scent of a different country
walking down Broadway………(by Rehn Kovacic);
.
Bourbon Street
the smell of Mardi Gras
washed off the walk………… (by Michael Lee) and
.
New Delhi sidewalks
the fragrance of curries
too weak to walk on……….(by shandon land).
.
Thank you Christina for highlighting my poem.
Rehn
Christina – Thank you for noticing my first effort at a one-line poem!
Thank you Kathy for including one of my haiku here. Many interesting sidewalk scents here. I too appreciated Laurie Greer’s as that happened to me yesterday while out holiday shopping.
I’m leaving for my morning walk–my nose can’t wait after reading this collection. We’re going hunting.
A stunning collection of aromas. Thank you all! It is winter here in Ontario so I’ve noticed lately how certain scents are hard to detect in cold, dry air. I enjoyed Agus Sunjaya’s observation of what happens when winter ends:
:
winter ends
unpacking
the smell of sidewalk
Thank you Kathy, for your work on this feature, and for again publishing a poem of mine. Congratulations to all!
Hi, Katherine,
Congratulations on your “smell haiku” collection, I love it, especially that you’re now moving to the haiku promoting other senses. Are you preparing a book on “sensual” haiku?
Where can I purchase your BODY OF EVIDENCE collection? I couldn’t find it on Amazon.com.
Have a cool day,
Tad Wojnicki
wojnicki@yahoo.com/
818-649-4390
Thanks for this, Tad – we are in discussions about a possible book… but nothing decided yet… in the meantime, I will email you with details about purchasing Body of Evidence – thanks so much!
Hi Kathy thank you for publishing mine and for all your efforts. Congrats poets !!
Kathy thank you for including my haiku among the many! Again it amazes me the sidewalks that evoke such smells from coffee, popcorn, bakeries and other edibles to more pungent smells of urine, exhaust, smoke and bar smells as well as perfumes, laundromat smells and more.
I feel like I have visited different city streets with various scents of smell. Thank you again. I look forward to re-reading these verses again and again today!
What a lovely surprise! Thank you, kj, for highlighting my poem. And yes, I agree with your comment. Lily-of-the-valley and other scents may not be everyone’s idea of spring.
Of concern, too, is artificial fragrances are often a brew of toxic chemicals that harm personal, public and environmental health. Open the windows! Hang your washing out on a line — those who can. There’s a good reason why Scandinavians like to put their babies out to sleep in prams, even in deep winter….
But then we’re not all living in safe environments, nor so lucky to be able to fill our lungs with truly fresh air.
A case in point, Laurie Greer’s:
.
walking behind
a man with a cigarette
my every breath a drag
Dear Kathy,
Warm greetings!
reading through this blog,coffee aroma imbibing, among other fine smells.
Thanks for including mine.
with regards
S.Radhamani
Another scent-sational collection from the city streets, KJ. Across the globe, unique smells define our cities.
Thanks for including one of mine. Now to return and sniff out them all.
Lots of good words today. In Garry Eaton’s “high society” I remember drug dealers crowding the square nights, asking , “Smoke? Smoke?” Probably half of them undercover officers. Sunday mornings perhaps a different story, “Puttin’ on the ritz.”
Thanks for commmenting Charles. Washington Square in Manhattan was once, during the so-called Gilded Age, the center of fashionable New York society, and it had the honour of providing the title for an important novel by Henry James. During the time I lived nearby, in the early 60s, it had descended in importance, and become a meeting place for counter culture forces, including a fairly open use of marijuana. Charles has seen part of what I was going for in ‘high society’, which, of course, is an ambiguous appelation by which I contrast the present scene with the past.