Fragrance Poetry inspired by Journey Man by Amouage.

The smell of Sichuan peppercorns
are embedded in my clothes
from the season’s harvest.
I came home in time for the holidays.
Little red peppercorns hung on green leaves:
That was my early Christmas Tree.
You can say I live a spiced life,
travelling from one place to the next.
Sometimes, men feel the breeze on their face
and hear the call of the wild – for freedom.
I know the routine well,
when I walk through the door.
First, you’ll grab me in your arms.
Then, you’ll throw out my tobacco
And lay out a proper suit. . .
. . .And you’ll ask me to stay.
But, soon, it’s time to move on to the next harvest.
But I linger for a moment, thinking, this time I might stay.
After all, every man needs to start a new “Journey” sometime. . .
Click Here to learn more about Journey Man by Amouage. Read Aqua Divina by Bulgari. © TheFragranceWriter.com, 2020, except where noted otherwise. All rights reserved.
This is a great poem. A lot of men hear the call of the wild, and the call to stay with a loved one and start a new phase in life. Even though I’m an introverted loner, I often hear the mountains calling me to lose myself in the crisp, cold air and the petrichor. I pay heed to it sometimes. But then there’s a gentle call to be there for the people who love me.
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I am the same way. New York has great mountain ranges and I feel at home there. I thought I was a loner, too. But the more I spend time with people that love me, the less and less I think I am a loner. Maybe I just never knew how it felt to belong somewhere. Deep thoughts.
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Hey,
I’ve made my blog private. Please request access if you wish to continue reading my work.
-Nitin
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Thanks for the heads up – I sent my request in. What made you make the change?
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Just accepted it! A public blog started suffocating me and though there is beauty here (in blogs like yours) I’ve found some ugliness too – insincerity, hate and lies that I dislike. So I decided to write for a smaller audience in a safe space (if that’s the right word!)
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Wow that’s too bad. I’ve experienced it too, the beautiful, the insincere and the toxic. I’m glad you’re sticking with it, though.
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The open spaces are calling all of us now. I look to the hills often and wonder what it would be like to go back in time when the only trace man left behind were footprints. Catskills or Adirondacks? I live at the southern reaches of the Adirondack foothills.
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Wow TIm, you’re right! I wrote this about a month ago, before social distancing became a thing around here. But it’s funny how it lines right up with current events. Time used to be simpler but it was a lot harder, too. I was watching about the black plague today, and how many people died just because there wasn’t the science and technology to understand it all. At the same time, technology can lead to even more death (i.e. nuclear warfare). So is any time really better than another? I’m not sure. But I’m talking about the Adirondacks. And like you said, I remember visiting Blue Mountain Lake, where you can’t even have a commercial boat. And water so clean, and right from the rain, they say you can drink it. Didn’t try, myself. But I did drink right from the streams when I was younger and didn’t know any better. So you can still find some places that have been barely touched. I like those places. .
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Time and times are relative, like so many things. I guess we just have to make the best of the time we’re in.
I used to drink directly from streams too. I have since become aware of beaver fever and other intestinal irritants, and no longer do that!
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Better we learn from others mistakes! I think I knew at the time, but in 95 degree summers, walking all day exploring the woods. A kid gets thirsty.
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Jay, as vivid and majestic a write as any grandeur mountain range.
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Thanks Lance, that’s an incredible compliment. Now, if only you could smell the incredible fragrance that goes with it!
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My sincere pleasure, Jay. That would be quite delightful!
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Fun fact, this brand was started by the Prince of Oman.
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Amouage! Thanks, Jay, for the trivia.
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I love this piece. You gravitate the essense of the man’s life. Bravo!
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Thank you, thank you. I’m so honored that you htink so 😀 I can only write about a fragrance as well as it inspires me.
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Awesome job!
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Thanks, friend! You made my day!
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😊
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I wonder what the harvest symbolises to different people. What do you see the harvest as??
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For me, traveling from harvest to harvest represents the idea of a migrant harvester – someone that doesn’t have a permanent home but travels place to place (in this case, for work in the fields). The fragrance is called “Journey,” so the whole idea is about a man on a journey, place to place. In the end, he considers if it’s time to settle down, but at the same time, that can be considered just a new part of his “journey.” So the journey is multi-layered.
The the most noticeable note in this fragrance is Sichuan pepper. That’s really creative and original, and I also have to ask myself how to set that up in a poem. So I set it up with the Sichuan harvest as the first part of his “journey.” But poetry is like fragrance. A fragrance doesn’t smell exactly the same on any two peoples’ skins. Likewise, a poem doesn’t mean exactly the same thing to any two people. So maybe for another person, the harvest represents a type of personal growth in and area of their life (and that growth is ready to be “harvested”), and they realize it might be time to slow down and open their heart to love.
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Wow. That’s impressively thorough.
I understood it very differently. I felt that the ‘harvest’ is your achievements & things you’re proud of. The suggestion of staying is someone toxic in your life-or even your thoughts. They’re holding you back from getting what you want. The refusal is the will of the person speaking up; however, it cannot be denied that caving to the voice-whomever’s voice-sounds like a much easier option.
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Everyone’s DNA (their life experiences are different), so the poem is going to react to your DNA differently than my DNA. That’s why I never want to make one interpretation too definitive. I wouldn’t want to deny the reader from reaching the poetry in their own point-of-view. But I really like your interpretation as well. There is a quote, “Like a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to their folly:” Repeatedly returning to someone that’s toxic, that holds you back from harvesting your accomplishments. Time to start a new chapter in life, a new “journey.” I like it.
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Yeah, I understand. I think what makes poetry beautiful is that it has *endless* meanings and the fact that people can learn/relate from your poems is just amazing. Huh. I like that quote. When I had someone like that, I cut them off. It feels like a weight off my shoulders, yknow?
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Ya, it feels great. It’s just getting to that realization that’s the hard part. I just have to always remind myself – if I left this person or situation once, I did it for a good reason, and not to repeat it.
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a spiced life.. sounds warm 🙂 cheers
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Oh yes, it’s a warming fragrance. Hope you have a great day Wiangga 😊
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Amazing. Loved the imagery
It’s a very good poem
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Thanks so much, Abhishek!
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“A spiced life…..the laid out suit….the call of the wild.” The fragrance, tinted with tobacco, is distinct to me. Love your writing ✍🏻.
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Oh, have you smelled it?
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I have! And when I get a whiff, it usually means I’m seeking the freedom of the wind. The security of my loved ones and friends are so sweet smelling and comforting. And then the mountains call and it’s a fragrance like no other!
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That’s such a great way to put it! I’m just happy someone knows one that I’m writing about. I’ve been writing about lesser known ones for now, but will open up to more mainstream ones soon.
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