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HAIKU DIALOGUE – Poet’s Choice – Gourmet Gallery – smell

Welcome to Poet’s Choice!

Let’s talk about haiku!

For this series, each poet may send one haiku on the week’s theme, and it will be included in the blog post. There is no selection process. The haiku appear in the order in which we received them.

Submit an original unpublished poem via our Contact Form by Saturday midnight on the theme of the week, including your name as you would like it to appear, and place of residence. (If you send more than one poem, only the first one will be posted.)

Please note that by submitting, you agree that your work may appear in the column – neither acknowledgment nor acceptance emails will be sent. All communication about the poems that are posted in the column will be added as blog comments.

next week’s theme:  GOURMET GALLERY – food & the sense of hearing

The deadline for this theme is midnight Pacific Time, Saturday 19 October 2019.

I look forward to reading your submissions.

Poet’s Choice:  Gourmet Gallery – smell

Here are the submissions for this week:

laid to rest
the scent of
citrus fades

Adam Arn

 

first halloween
the diaper bin’s
pumpkin scent

Roberta Beary
County Mayo Ireland

 

thick fog…
looking for a bakery store
by the smell of hot bread

Serhiy Shpychenko
Kyiv, UA

 

penetrating
highland resort fest
durian smell

Christina Chin

 

quince sorbet –
beyond its taste
the childhood

Brăilean Mirela

 

bacon quiches
at library book sale
stomach talking

wendy c. bialek
prescott valley, az usa

 

bowl to the brim
crab Rangoon – my weight
on the surge

Radhamani sarma

 

a pungent smell
fills the dining room…
garlic dip

Rosa Maria Di Salvatore

 

Roast potatoes
The heady scent
of rosemary

Patate arrosto
L’inebriante profumo
del rosmarino

Dennys Cambarau

 

after my mom’s funeral
only the smell of pizza
makes me happy

Aljoša Vuković
Šibenik, Croatia

 

fish restaurant
the beggar eats the scent
with bread

Goran Radičević

 

wafting
from the barracks mess hall
a rank odor

Sari Grandstaff

 

a disguise plate
smell’s unfolding
once folded into

Saša Slavković
Slovenia

 

Writing my memoirs
Smell of baking bread

Margie Gustafson
Lombard, IL

 

mom’s kitchen
asafoetida tempering
picked from afar

Vishnu Kapoor

 

sweet basil sautéing
mother must be
in a good mood tonight

Rehn Kovacic

 

aromatic waves
buffeting hungry nostrils
Japanese street food

Sherrod Taylor

 

in the smoke
a chestnut flavor…
autumn wind

Francesco Palladino

 

trekking through France
the smell of strong cheese
from my feet

John Hawkhead

 

crowded in the tram
the smell of garlic
behind my back

Slobodan Pupovac
Zagreb, Croatia

 

birthday cake…
mother’s hands
smell of vanilla

torta di compleanno…
profuma di vaniglia
anche la mamma

Lucia Cardillo

 

deep breath in
I inhale a lungful
of steeping earl grey

Anitha Varma

 

tortellini in broth –
the scent
dance at the table

vincenzo adamo

 

Broth infused with herbs,
ginger, basil, lemongrass
permeates my world

Margaret Cole

 

spicy smell
spread far and wide –
picnic day

Aju Mukhopadhyay

 

Hej, diši tiše!
Topli burek miriše
u tvojoj kosi

Hey, breathe quieter!
A warm cheese pie smells
in your hair

Zrinko Šimunić

 

whiff of campfire smoke…
memories of laughing as pops
eats burnt hot dogs

joel

 

cooked quince –
a childhood scent
suddenly

Maria Teresa Piras

 

Fisherman’s Wharf
a row of children
hold their nose

Peggy Hale Bilbro
Huntsville, Alabama

 

winter sea –
the wind tastes of salt
and fried fish

mare d’inverno –
il vento sa di sale
e pesce fritto

Angiola Inglese

 

It smells like veal
Calves graze in the meadow
I’m not a vegan

Mira Jungić

 

the smell of vinegar
and roasted peppers –
it’s autumn

Zdenka Mlinar
Croatia

 

Steam rises
Intoxicating apple cider
Fall chills the air

Louise Gallagher

 

spicy curry
yellow stain of turmeric on her fingers

Nuky Kristijono
Indonesia

 

a bull by the nose
I’m drawn to the smell
from a doughnut oh

simonj
UK

 

only two posts
once again my lunch burned

Dubravka Šćukanec
Zagreb, Croatia

 

sunday barbecue
some smoke still hanging
in may hair

Franjo Ordanic

 

orange peel
they dry on the stove –
childhood perfumes

bucce d’arancio
seccano sulla stufa –
i profumi d’infanzia

Angela Giordano
Italy

 

cinnamon tea –
my mom finally
extends her stay

Neelam Dadhwal
India

 

restaurant row…
every passing breeze sparks
fresh hunger pangs

Michele L. Harvey

 

a simple stew
his crowning glory
smell of bay leaves

Laurie Greer

 

homesick moment
pulls me towards the border
lemongrass tea

Hifsa Ashraf
Pakistan

 

bed and breakfast
waking up to the smell
of bacon and eggs

Olivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland

 

truffle pasta
prepared table side
Florence

Kathleen Mazurowski

 

every week
the moon has
a new name

Ljiljana Dobra
Sibenik Croatia

 

caldarroste:
sottovoce il profumo di mamma

roasted chestnuts:
whisper the scent of mum

Giuliana Ravaglia

 

layers
a hint of passion
hidden in the seam

Mark Gilbert
UK

 

morning coffee
a scent
that never grows old

Lori Zajkowski

 

Tehran night garden
scent of saffron and rose
ice cream

Kath Abela Wilson
Pasadena, California (Visiting Iran)

 

mom’s fresh baked cookies
kissing the kitchen air
peanut butter love

Susan Rogers

 

returning home
the smell of spices
from her hands

Richa Sharma

 

garlic fumes
I offer him
a minty

Madhuri Pillai

 

alone…
within the skin
of my durian

Robert Kingston
Essex, UK

 

solo travel –
the aroma of apple cinnamon
calling me home

arvinder kaur
Chandigarh, India

 

street beggar
enjoying meal
with his nose

SD Desai

 

The smell of childhood
To the dream gallery
It brings the wind

Refika Dedić
Bosna I Hercegovina

 

home
the smell of gingerbread
first to greet me

Rich Schilling
Webster Groves, MO

 

dawn
milking the cows
smell of childhood

Nazarena Rampini

 

goodnight story
children’s hair smells
of roasted chestnuts

Elisa Allo
Switzerland

 

morning coldness
fresh croissants
a hot cup of tea

Tomoko Nakata

 

savoring pizza
roadside near Bologna
cold Cokes with ice

dianne moritz

 

chardonnay twilight
in the nuptial goblet
toasts foothills skyline

Ron Scully

 

sweet saffron scents
the labyrinth of the souk
we’ve been here before

Dean Okamura

 

Cheese bubbling up
The smell of Mom’s mac & cheese
My palate is ready!

John Grant

 

long term memory mom’s cooking

Adrian Bouter

 

barbecue
on the autumn wind
wasps come to call

Janice Munro
Canada

 

his snoring
a bed
of garlic

Margaret Walker

 

tears and winces my father his onions his limburger

Mark Meyer

 

pan of paella
saffron-flavored favorite –
delectable dish

Mark
Albany, NY

 

autumn’s breath –
saffron bouquets
sweeten the air

Steve Tabb

 

over the livestock smell
the grilled onions
of a county fair burger

Debbie Scheving

 

date night
the garlic pasta
linger on my taste buds

Bona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA

 

sweet cabbage boils
a hungry aroma
in my bus-home snooze

Lemuel Waite
Georgetown, Kentucky

 

distant mountains
whipping up clouds…
last strawberries

Julie Emerson

 

windows slide open
oily smoke drifts out
Mother’s Day surprise

Christine Goodnough

 

aroma of death
gourmet festival for flies
battlefield

Charles Harmon
Los Angeles, California

 

Katherine Munro lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and publishes under the name kjmunro. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada, and her debut poetry collection is contractions (Red Moon Press, 2019).

This Post Has 31 Comments

  1. kj
    I seem to fall out by a week.My meager contribution above was meant for the visual theme and I am sure I sent a piece , ” hunters stew” for the week on smell.
    Don’t know how that happens. I have come to wait until the deadline now in order to stay in the appropriate week.
    FYI, not to bother.I enjoy anyway.

    Ron.

    1. sorry Ron – the new theme goes up on Wednesday mornings, & the deadline for it is the following Saturday – & I should receive the Contact Form submissions when you send them – there shouldn’t be a delay of any kind… I received the poem above on Saturday 12 Oct – & if a poem is ever missing from a post, please add it here in the comments!
      thanks, kj

  2. They say smell is our most nostalgic sense. This week brought to mind many memories, plus some new foods I would love to experience.
    *
    I was struck by the beauty of a few in the original language in the sense of smell theme this week. The inebriating perfume of the rosemary! and so forth. Tempts me to learn Italian. I’m glad that multiple languages are posted here where the poets are able. It is inspiring to read through even without total understanding.
    *
    Roast potatoes
    The heady scent
    of rosemary
    .
    Patate arrosto
    L’inebriante profumo
    del rosmarino
    .
    Dennys Cambarau
    *
    birthday cake…
    mother’s hands
    smell of vanilla
    .
    torta di compleanno…
    profuma di vaniglia
    anche la mamma
    .
    Lucia Cardillo
    *
    orange peel
    they dry on the stove –
    childhood perfumes
    .
    bucce d’arancio
    seccano sulla stufa –
    i profumi d’infanzia
    .
    Angela Giordano
    *
    caldarroste:
    sottovoce il profumo di mamma
    .
    roasted chestnuts:
    whisper the scent of mum
    .
    Giuliana Ravaglia
    *

    1. What an apt observation!
      I agree with you Debbi, the fragrance from foreign lands in other languages are particularly arresting.

    1. grennady,
      this can be for theme smell or hearing….depending on how close you are to the belcher.

  3. And here’s another twist from Sari Grandstaff on the rank and file order on parade:
    *
    wafting
    from the barracks mess hall
    a rank odor
    *
    Sari Grandstaff

    1. sounds like this is meant for next theme….”hearing”
      Pat Geyer…you might want to re-enter it in the place for next time above.

      also Hi Kathy j munro, / or Lori Zajkowski did you receive mine entered on wednesday? for hearing?

  4. Dear kathy,
    Greetings. Delighted to see mine included here.
    Of so many culinary smells, this week’s choice is my favorite.

    mom’s kitchen
    asafoetida tempering
    picked from afar

    Vishnu Kapoor

  5. mom’s kitchen
    asafoetida tempering
    picked from afar

    Vishnu Kapoor

    when i lived in NY there was a Pakastani market i went to for bottles of asafoetida….i had read that this spice was equivalent to garlic powder(in taste and smell)…yet it had an additional function….in that it helped to curb gas.
    I appreciate this poem….and for Vishnu reminding me of it…as i forgot its name and i want to restore order back to my pantry…and living room shared with husband.

    1. Pakistani…mea culpa …my bad….my sorry!

      another note on this poem by Vishnu, and a few others…how one smell can be used to cover-up another:

      I am fortunate enough to live in an area where there is a gourmet cafe built into my hometown library….every year i look forward to the book sale….this year…i was quite eager to get first pickings and left without eating breakfast first….the cafe is directly near the front sliding doors….and the bacon quiches that were just one thing on the daily menu….was the first thing that hit me as i entered. And i found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on looking through piles of used books that went clearly up to the third story….where poetry/arts and various cooking books were for sale. I heard my stomach talking louder and louder….with each page i thumbed through…..and i was now speed reading to get back down to that cafe.

      bacon quiches
      at library book sale
      stomach talking

      wendy c. bialek

      the sense of Smell is a very powerful and moving experience…it can cover up another smell, it can bring us back to memories long forgotten….it can make us travel many miles to return to a restaurant in another country….it can lure us into seduction and promise to continue propagation and survival of a population.

  6. Touched by

    laid to rest
    the scent of
    citrus fades

    Adam Arn

    homesick moment
    pulls me towards the border
    lemongrass tea

    Hifsa Ashraf

  7. Hello Kathy,
    May I pop mine in here, please? It got left out thought it was sent well in time on Saturday from Macedonia.
    .
    green market
    the heady scent of herbs
    for my Persian omelet

      1. yes, of course – thanks for this, Ingrid! I have received a submission from you this week (& from Wendy!) – did you do something differently this week?

        1. Hello again Kathy…my poems usually arrive, but I may have forgotten this time to wait for the receipt message after sending it.
          As it happens, Kath Abela Wilson and I write about the wonderful scents of Iranian cuisine… yummy. Café Naderi by any chance, Kath?
          .
          Tehran night garden
          scent of saffron and rose
          ice cream

          Kath Abela Wilson
          Pasadena, California (Visiting Iran)

          1. Ingrid thank you for noticing my night garden! The particular moment I am recalling was at an outdoor evening garden party setting at a math conference … I feel like I am standing over the dessert being served enveloped in the scent of the most luscious ice cream I have ever known!!

            Your herbs also…!! I imagine the scent and especially remember the first time we had a traditional lamb stew …koresh? And each person had a wonderful flat bread
            And pile of fresh herbs next to it including mint! Also very fragrant. We ate the stew with that. It was traditional restaurant with traditional music. We are so fortunate to have gone fo Iran 3 times for conferences. The food is incredible. And I must say the people most friendly in our travels. I am missing the scents and tastes! Oh and the markets we went to with herbs and spices!

  8. Thank you Kathy! Here a couple of chestnuts that stood out for me:

    goodnight story
    children’s hair smells
    of roasted chestnuts

    Elisa Allo
    Switzerland

    in the smoke
    a chestnut flavor…
    autumn wind

    Francesco Palladino

    And this one captures that country fair issue of competing smells! I will think of it at the Sheep & Wool Festival this weekend:

    over the livestock smell
    the grilled onions
    of a county fair burger

    Debbie Scheving

    1. Thank you Sari. I enjoyed the double meaning in your ….”rank odor.”
      Enjoy your festival this weekend. Perhaps some sheep haiku will be forthcoming!

  9. First run through. This one brightened the day
    .
    trekking through France
    the smell of strong cheese
    from my feet

    John Hawkhead

    1. A nice comical twist, and I’d like to highlight another twist:
      .
      street beggar
      enjoying meal
      with his nose
      .
      SD Desai
      .
      (ps. _enjoying a meal_ is standard, and reads/recites better.)

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