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Submit an original unpublished poem via our Contact Form by Saturday midnight on the theme of the week, including your name as you would like it to appear, and place of residence.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 fadesAdam Arn
first halloween
the diaper bin’s
pumpkin scentRoberta Beary
County Mayo Ireland
thick fog…
looking for a bakery store
by the smell of hot breadSerhiy Shpychenko
Kyiv, UA
penetrating
highland resort fest
durian smellChristina Chin
quince sorbet –
beyond its taste
the childhoodBrăilean Mirela
bacon quiches
at library book sale
stomach talkingwendy c. bialek
prescott valley, az usa
bowl to the brim
crab Rangoon – my weight
on the surgeRadhamani sarma
a pungent smell
fills the dining room…
garlic dipRosa Maria Di Salvatore
Roast potatoes
The heady scent
of rosemaryPatate arrosto
L’inebriante profumo
del rosmarinoDennys Cambarau
after my mom’s funeral
only the smell of pizza
makes me happyAljoša Vuković
Šibenik, Croatia
fish restaurant
the beggar eats the scent
with breadGoran Radičević
wafting
from the barracks mess hall
a rank odorSari Grandstaff
a disguise plate
smell’s unfolding
once folded intoSaša Slavković
Slovenia
Writing my memoirs
Smell of baking breadMargie Gustafson
Lombard, IL
mom’s kitchen
asafoetida tempering
picked from afarVishnu Kapoor
sweet basil sautéing
mother must be
in a good mood tonightRehn Kovacic
aromatic waves
buffeting hungry nostrils
Japanese street foodSherrod Taylor
in the smoke
a chestnut flavor…
autumn windFrancesco Palladino
trekking through France
the smell of strong cheese
from my feetJohn Hawkhead
crowded in the tram
the smell of garlic
behind my backSlobodan Pupovac
Zagreb, Croatia
birthday cake…
mother’s hands
smell of vanillatorta di compleanno…
profuma di vaniglia
anche la mammaLucia Cardillo
deep breath in
I inhale a lungful
of steeping earl greyAnitha Varma
tortellini in broth –
the scent
dance at the tablevincenzo adamo
Broth infused with herbs,
ginger, basil, lemongrass
permeates my worldMargaret Cole
spicy smell
spread far and wide –
picnic dayAju Mukhopadhyay
Hej, diši tiše!
Topli burek miriše
u tvojoj kosiHey, breathe quieter!
A warm cheese pie smells
in your hairZrinko Šimunić
whiff of campfire smoke…
memories of laughing as pops
eats burnt hot dogsjoel
cooked quince –
a childhood scent
suddenlyMaria Teresa Piras
Fisherman’s Wharf
a row of children
hold their nosePeggy Hale Bilbro
Huntsville, Alabama
winter sea –
the wind tastes of salt
and fried fishmare d’inverno –
il vento sa di sale
e pesce frittoAngiola Inglese
It smells like veal
Calves graze in the meadow
I’m not a veganMira Jungić
the smell of vinegar
and roasted peppers –
it’s autumnZdenka Mlinar
Croatia
Steam rises
Intoxicating apple cider
Fall chills the airLouise Gallagher
spicy curry
yellow stain of turmeric on her fingersNuky Kristijono
Indonesia
a bull by the nose
I’m drawn to the smell
from a doughnut ohsimonj
UK
only two posts
once again my lunch burnedDubravka Šćukanec
Zagreb, Croatia
sunday barbecue
some smoke still hanging
in may hairFranjo Ordanic
orange peel
they dry on the stove –
childhood perfumesbucce d’arancio
seccano sulla stufa –
i profumi d’infanziaAngela Giordano
Italy
cinnamon tea –
my mom finally
extends her stayNeelam Dadhwal
India
restaurant row…
every passing breeze sparks
fresh hunger pangsMichele L. Harvey
a simple stew
his crowning glory
smell of bay leavesLaurie Greer
homesick moment
pulls me towards the border
lemongrass teaHifsa Ashraf
Pakistan
bed and breakfast
waking up to the smell
of bacon and eggsOlivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland
truffle pasta
prepared table side
FlorenceKathleen Mazurowski
every week
the moon has
a new nameLjiljana Dobra
Sibenik Croatia
caldarroste:
sottovoce il profumo di mammaroasted chestnuts:
whisper the scent of mumGiuliana Ravaglia
layers
a hint of passion
hidden in the seamMark Gilbert
UK
morning coffee
a scent
that never grows oldLori Zajkowski
Tehran night garden
scent of saffron and rose
ice creamKath Abela Wilson
Pasadena, California (Visiting Iran)
mom’s fresh baked cookies
kissing the kitchen air
peanut butter loveSusan Rogers
returning home
the smell of spices
from her handsRicha Sharma
garlic fumes
I offer him
a mintyMadhuri Pillai
alone…
within the skin
of my durianRobert Kingston
Essex, UK
solo travel –
the aroma of apple cinnamon
calling me homearvinder kaur
Chandigarh, India
street beggar
enjoying meal
with his noseSD Desai
The smell of childhood
To the dream gallery
It brings the windRefika Dedić
Bosna I Hercegovina
home
the smell of gingerbread
first to greet meRich Schilling
Webster Groves, MO
dawn
milking the cows
smell of childhoodNazarena Rampini
goodnight story
children’s hair smells
of roasted chestnutsElisa Allo
Switzerland
morning coldness
fresh croissants
a hot cup of teaTomoko Nakata
savoring pizza
roadside near Bologna
cold Cokes with icedianne moritz
chardonnay twilight
in the nuptial goblet
toasts foothills skylineRon Scully
sweet saffron scents
the labyrinth of the souk
we’ve been here beforeDean 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 callJanice Munro
Canada
his snoring
a bed
of garlicMargaret Walker
tears and winces my father his onions his limburger
Mark Meyer
pan of paella
saffron-flavored favorite –
delectable dishMark
Albany, NY
autumn’s breath –
saffron bouquets
sweeten the airSteve Tabb
over the livestock smell
the grilled onions
of a county fair burgerDebbie Scheving
date night
the garlic pasta
linger on my taste budsBona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA
sweet cabbage boils
a hungry aroma
in my bus-home snoozeLemuel Waite
Georgetown, Kentucky
distant mountains
whipping up clouds…
last strawberriesJulie Emerson
windows slide open
oily smoke drifts out
Mother’s Day surpriseChristine Goodnough
aroma of death
gourmet festival for flies
battlefieldCharles 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
Comments are closed.
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.
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
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
*
What an apt observation!
I agree with you Debbi, the fragrance from foreign lands in other languages are particularly arresting.
belch
after
of a picnic
grennady,
this can be for theme smell or hearing….depending on how close you are to the belcher.
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
Thank you John! Much appreciated.
my heart beats
is my pesto
pulsed like hers
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?
as I mentioned to Ingrid below – both received this week, with thanks, kj
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
Please see a concrete version of my haiku from this week – another dessert – at https://twitter.com/MarkgZero/status/1184585760638427136?s=20
thanks so much for this one, too, Mark!
I particularly enjoyed the humour and the wordplay of Margaret Walker’s
his snoring
a bed
of garlic
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.
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.
Touched by
laid to rest
the scent of
citrus fades
Adam Arn
homesick moment
pulls me towards the border
lemongrass tea
Hifsa Ashraf
Thank you! I’m glad my ku connected with you.
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
…though it was sent well in time…. : )
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?
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)
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!
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
Thank you Sari. I enjoyed the double meaning in your ….”rank odor.”
Enjoy your festival this weekend. Perhaps some sheep haiku will be forthcoming!
movie night
the first kernel
pops
Oops sorry! Wrong spot! Never post before coffee!
First run through. This one brightened the day
.
trekking through France
the smell of strong cheese
from my feet
John Hawkhead
But is it gourmet?! ; )
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.)