Calendar of Smells

Close your eyes. Remember
the smell of newly oiled floors
and the salty odor of steaming children
after recess on those first hot days of September?
The crispy scent of October’s colored leaves
that teacher hung over the blackboards?

Wood smoke from the big black stove
mixed with the smell of cows which clung
to the overalls of the farm kids
coming in from morning chores
when November’s chill kept the windows
tightly closed.

Mingled odors of sausage sandwiches,
pickles and cookies that filled December’s
lunch hours in the classroom were aired out
when the pupils were sent outside to run off energy
in Fox and Geese circles.

The smell of wet mittens and wool scarves
drying near the stove spelled out January while
the pungent odor of boys’ snow-wet leather boots
lasted through February and March.

Even the mud tracked into the building held
a unique smell of spring in April and the delicate
perfume of Mayflowers and apple blossoms,
picked for teacher by the girls, scented the air
around her desk when the blue May sky outside
turned thoughts to summer vacation
and sprouted a room full of day dreams.