SUMMER SMELLS

I miss the smells of summer:

The suntan lotion

the sweat, the sea

the hot dogs broiling on the porch.

I miss these things more than I dare utter.

And the vacuum-packed freshness

of this icy season

does little to relieve this loss

this sensory deprivation.

I miss the smells of summer

and see only one way to clear my way free.

I shall remove the defensive sense

freeing myself from this misery

of absence of scent.

I shall cut off my nose

to save my face

thus saving myself

from the smells of summer.