Poem: Remembered In a Smell

A deep memory from childhood. Who doesn't know that?

Remembered In a Smell He remembers Remembers roller-skates that clamped on, the key turned so tight, shoe-toes curled Flying down cement sidewalks, wings spread, skinned knees and elbows, breathless On fire with being seven years old Remembers the smell of summer-hot tar, pressing in pennies with fingers, fascinated at this early form of publishing Fireflies chased before the Silent Spring, caught in eager hands, stuffed in Mason jars Magic in glass, spilled out and made free before bed Remembers his first leather jacket, pleaded for Expensive His family wasn’t poor, but these were war-years, saving bacon fat, tin cans, rationing and Victory Gardens The jacket he pulled off and left, its very first day Nine bucks, and seventy years later, he still remembers Remembers flags hung in neighbors windows by gold cord A blue star for each son at war and some had several Lost or missing, the blue stars turned to gold These windows passed quietly, whispered and cried over with nine year old tears, while playing at war and watching neighbor’s parents, quickly grown old Seventy years later, a crew patches streets, half a world away, the sudden smell of hot tar and memories flood back of skinned knees, pressed fingers and fireflies, slammed screen-doors, stars turned blue to gold Nine dollar jackets and neighbors’ sons lost The breaking wave of a lifetime, remembered in a smell

This poem is included in Jim Freeman's poetry collection CORNER OF MY MIND available here in print or as an e-Book in your favorite formats.