My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: Empire of Scents
This Tuesday Grace has set us the challenge of writing a poem about scents.
It’s a wet Tuesday,
Rain spits at the closed window
And I’m listening to the radio,
Following in grandmother’s footsteps.
The iron steams.
Clothes, rescued from the line
Are scented with raindrops,
Creased and pleading
To be smooth.
I press fabric between iron and board,
Breathe in a warm memory
And slip down the years
To the lily of the valley embrace
Of the woman
Who taught me
How to iron away
A rainy day.
© Kim M. Russell, 2016
Image found on www.ssplprints.com
This is lovely. What a sweet tender memory this scent and activity is. Our grandmothers always seemed to have those wonderful scents about them – lily of the valley, talcum powder, Ivory soap, rose. Great poem.
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Thank you, Toni 🙂
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A sweet memory.
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Oh, I have been in that room. Another part of the globe to be sure, but rain-soaked laundry and a steam iron — they smell the same, or near enough.
“I press fabric between iron and board,
Breathe in a warm memory
And slip down the years
To the lily of the valley embrace
Of the woman
Who taught me
How to iron away
A rainy day.”
The sounds and sculpting of these lines have that soft, warm, embrace implicit in them. Spot on!
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Thank you, Charley 🙂
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Ah yes, ironing day! I can smell it now. Thanks for that memory!
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Creased and pleading – Love this line! I can smell the ironing and hear how my mom used elbow grease to ship those shirts into shape! You have evoked clear, crisp memories! Well done 🙂
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Thank you, Jilly 🙂
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Oh, now I remember those iron smells (starch with hot coals). Lovely memories of your grandmother Kim. I think ironing away is good to do on a rainy day.
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Thank you, Grace 🙂
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I love this–and I have such similar memories–even incorporated the scent of those old blue starch cubes into my poem. For me, this was a sensory delight.
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Thank you, Victoria!
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What a wonderful memory!
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There’s something about the smell of a hot iron on dampened clothes isn’t there, I remember my mother ironing everything after she sprinkled the garment with water….lovely Kim…
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Thank you, Michael. I too iron everything, and get a lot of stick for it. Most people I know hate ironing!
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Not the socks and undies Kim?
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Oh yes, socks and undies too!
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That’s almost hard labour Kim….but I know some do that, my old MIL used to iron everything too much to our amuzement.
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“As I read this, my husband was ironing in our living-room. Gives me wonderful memories of watching my father iron his shirts. There is that special linen/cotton, steam and heat smell that always brings to mind what seemed a simpler time,” she said.
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Now that’s a wonderful coincidence 🙂
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“Aren’t they fun when they happen,” she replied. “It was much later than he usually irons!” “And PS I do the wash, and let him iron his clothes — I never iron mine because I iron IN the wrinkles,” she :)’d.
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“PS: My sister-in-law irons everything too — yep those socks and undies. I can’t think of anything she washes she doesn’t iron, board set up in the living room watching movies.”
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What a loving memory, and something so meaningful in that ‘lily of the valley embrace’—there’s something about someone who is constant, consistent, stable and dependable like that 🙂
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That’s why I really enjoy ironing! 🙂
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Ah, yes, the associations that go with it would make all the difference to the task!!
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I do love to iron myself.. The smell is so special and soothing. I do all ironing myself at our house. But I have no memories of anyone else doing it.
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Everyone I know laughs at me because I iron everything, including towels and socks, but that was the way I was taught. It also gives me a feeling of satisfaction and I listen to BBC Radio 4 while ironing, usually a play or a story and quite often Poetry Please, so I have to iron everything in the time it takes to listen to a programme or two!
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Ha.. I usually listen to podcasts, and limit myself to shirts. 🙂
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Aww.. ❤ this is such a sweet memory ❤ Our grandmothers tend to have unforgettable scents around them such as jasmine, lilies and rose 😀 Beautifully expressed.
Lots of love,
Sanaa
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🙂
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My mother taught me to iron…line-dried clothes have a fresh scent and lots of wrinkles. You’ve inspired me to iron away today 😄
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You’ve perfectly conveyed the scent of iron-pressed clothes here. Awwee this makes me missed my mom a looot. Great poem!
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Thank you, Maria 😊
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You’re most welcome 😊
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Mostly anything warm has a certain comfort to it (even though I can’t smell it), Kim. But you’ve put this together beautifully with words that insist aroma!
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Thank you, Walter!
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What a wonderful and unique scent memory! I love the laundry rescued from the line so that the hot iron brings out the scent of raindrops.
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Thank you, Linda.
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Splendid ambience and nostalgia you’ve crafted here! I enjoyed this poem much.
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Thank you, Jennifer!
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My mom had one of those large steam irons, and I remember the smell so vividly. You described it well with the warmth. Very nostalgic for me, reading this.
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I really love this. It’s beautiful when a simple task like ironing can hold so much love, admiration and fond memories. I could smell the scent of raindrops!
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Thank you!
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Lovely piece! 🙂
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Thanks Josslyn! 🙂
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You’re welcome! 🙂
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This is breathtakingly beautiful and poignant. I love the sensory detail. It puts me right there 🙂
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Thank you for reading and I’m so glad you like it. 😊
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