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Winter Smoke: Sensory Poems

1/11/2017

16 Comments

 
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Thank goodness for Poetry Friday! I look forward to this day all week long. It is a joy to read all of the poetic posts written by people I admire very much. So whether you are a regular traveler on the Poetry Friday train or you are climbing aboard for the first time, be sure to stop at the round-up station this week where Keri at Keri Recommends is our host!

When I was little, I remember my dad preparing the meat and readying the pump house for making sausage. First, he would grind the meat and put it into casings. Then, he would hang the links of sausage on the poles that hung in the rafters of the pump house. After that it was time to light a small fire underneath to smolder and create the most delicious smell of maple and oak. Some smells you never forget, and this is certainly one I am drawn back to every winter. So I was very excited one evening when I was taking a walk in the woods and got a whiff of that familiar scent in the air. I immediately whispered to myself, "It's sausage making time." From that one line, this poem emerged from deep within a treasured childhood moment with my father.
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Invitation to Write:

Writers often rely on their senses when they are reaching into memory as they write. Think about some of your most treasured memories. What are the sights, sounds, and smells that you associate with these memories? Jot down some of these sensory details and see what bubbles up. Now, stretch yourself reach even deeper into the details of this memory and think out loud about what you have to say about this moment. That's right, talk to yourself! Jot down a few lines as you talk your way through this responsive experience. It's sensory writing time!
16 Comments
Keri Collins Lewis
1/12/2017 02:26:14 pm

Your post gave me goosebumps! Scents are such potent memory-bringers!

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Brenda Harsham link
1/12/2017 06:26:59 pm

What a delicious memory. Food, family, scents of woodsmoke, lots for me to relate to there. Happy Poetry Friday!

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Jane @ Raincity Librarian link
1/12/2017 06:53:40 pm

Isn't it incredible how our senses can instantly transport our thoughts through time and space? I was recently walking past an elementary school, and their recess bell went off, playing "Edelweiss" (Japan is a bit odd...), and it immediately reminded me of being a tiny little girl, and my mother singing me that song when I was sick and couldn't sleep. I hadn't thought about that song in decades, and suddenly the memory was crystal clear in my mind. The brain is such an incredibly wonderful and mysterious thing, isn't it?

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Joy Acey link
1/12/2017 07:24:56 pm

I enjoyed your poem. Thank you for posting it. The scent that draws me the most is from the pickles my dad used to make. He'd make huge crocks of dill and then bread and butter pickles.

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Linda Baie link
1/12/2017 08:01:46 pm

I loved that you had the experience, Kiersha, and now you've captured it beautifully. I've written a few poems similar, one about the taste of Pepsi (which I really don't drink often), but I sat on summer afternoons with a grandmother in a porch swing, drinking one small glass of Pepsi. If I ever have a taste, I'm right back there! Thanks for the memory!

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Linda Mitchell link
1/13/2017 03:37:02 am

I look forward to Poetry Friday too! I've started keeping lists of books/poems recommended and ideas for prompts. PF has been a huge boost to me getting butt in chair and producing words. Fist bump to you!
This poem is as much a prompt as it is a poem to sit with...what a beautiful invitation to memory and those good memories of fragrance are so special and vivid. Again, thank you. Have a great week. I'm off to jot down some details.

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Kay McGriff link
1/13/2017 05:58:03 am

Yum...what delicious sensory images. I can almost taste the smokey sausage. We make sausage from venison, but the electric smoker just doesn't give off the same sensory experience.

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Donna link
1/13/2017 08:13:25 am

I loved your poem and reading. I do not have this particular sensory memory, but you know it is good writing when you can get the same feeling that person has who has written it regardless or your own lack. I got your moment. Thanks for sharing!

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Violet N. link
1/13/2017 02:52:02 pm

What a beautiful memory! I too love the smell of wood smoke in the fall and winter, even though sausage-making isn't attached. It's such an elemental fragrance. I love how smells and memories are connected.

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Alice Nine link
1/13/2017 02:54:16 pm

Beautiful descriptive lines. I saw it when I read it, but I felt it when I listened to you read it, especially the last line. Thanks for the backstory and for the challenge. I like your words, "rely on their senses when they are reaching into memory as they write..." I visualized that "reaching into a memory." I hope you enjoy some of that sausage!

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Leigh Anne link
1/13/2017 03:37:38 pm

I have certain scents that take me back in time with such vivid memories. I am new to Poetry Friday so I appreciate the writing invitation. I am looking forward to playing with sensory writing in my notebook.

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Carol Varsalona link
1/13/2017 08:06:55 pm

Kiesha, sensory poems bring so much to the reader in the way of remembrances. While I never had an experience like yours, I read through the piece twice to really picture the scene. I bought a new scented candle that has the smell of firewood burning and that smell reminds me of what you are describing. What a great memory to share with all of us. Would you like to offer this poem and your soundcloud for my winter gallery?

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Mary Lee
1/14/2017 04:21:20 am

Your intro and poem brought me right to the moment with you!

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Julieanne
1/14/2017 09:39:53 am

What a beautiful post. Reading the backstory and hearing your voice were gifts. Smells are so connected to cooking and baking. They pull me back to home.

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Tabatha link
1/15/2017 06:40:23 pm

Beautiful! I would love a version with your dad in it, too. :-)

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LifePoemsProject.com link
4/21/2018 07:37:57 pm

Your poem affected life?! Yes, you can share your lovely poem and its great "after story" with the world... Submit now on LifePoemsProject.com

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    Welcome! I'm Kiesha Shepard, and I have a love for writing and the teaching of writing. Whispers From the Ridge is a place where I can share my words and ideas for teaching writing. It's also a place for you to find inspiration for writing the words inside of you. I invite you into my world of writing as I capture the whispers from the ridge.

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