If souls have a scent
what will mine be?
Will it smell of lavender
like clean laundry
or will it smell fetid
like a corpse flower?
how badly have my sins
spoiled the brand new smell
of my newborn soul?
I am curious.
One can hide behind good works
or the semblance of the good life
as defined by the world
but the scent –
the scent betrays
what rots in hidden places.
© 2017, poem and photograph, Imelda Santore
Thank you for sharing the beauty and inspiration:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
The focus of "The BeZine," a publication of The Bardo Group Beguines, is on sacred space (common ground) as it is expressed through the arts. Our work covers a range of topics: spirituality, life, death, personal experience, culture, current events, history, art, and photography and film. We share work here that is representative of universal human values however differently they might be expressed in our varied religions and cultures. We feel that our art and our Internet-facilitated social connection offer a means to see one another in our simple humanity, as brothers and sisters, and not as “other.” This is a space where we hope you’ll delight in learning how much you have in common with “other” peoples. We hope that your visits here will help you to love (respect) not fear. For more see our Info/Mission Statement Page.
View All Posts
The BeZine 
I’ve seen those corpse followers before at the botanic garden, but was not present when they opened for pollination (perhaps thankfully). I like how your poem was split by this line: “I am curious.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an interesting concept. I have never before wondered about how a soul might smell, but I am wondering now! Do you suppose that truly good works cannot somehow wash a soul cleaner? Or maybe a heroic sacrifice of a person’s life for another completely bleaches it clean? What “nose” do we use to ascertain the scent of another’s soul and how do we know if it’s correct? Thanks for giving me some new things to ponder, and thank you for sharing this with us this month. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person