On a regular basis, she would smell smokey. Not the kind of smokiness from a fire place, but the smokiness of an ash tray. It sounds disgusting but when it mixed with her cherry blossom scented lotion from Bath and Body Works, it became a balance of sweet and smokey. Its near impossible to describe exactly the specifications of each scent.
I can hardly explain her taste. I feel gross trying to think back on what she tasted like. Whenever I would steal a kiss, I would get a kick of bold tobacco from her freshly smoked lips. If I had to describe the taste of tobacco, I would say it is 'earthly.' If I had to describe the taste of earth, I would say...christ!
Sometimes I would get a mouthful of hair when laying beside her and that was the most complicated taste. I don't know how something with so much texture could be so bland. I can't even describe bland. Dammit Ackerman!
Whenever going for a social smoke after a couple drinks, I am always reminded of my leather wearing girl who mixed her cigarette smoke with cherry blossoms.
I thinks its hard to describe smells and tastes in general let alone the specifics smells and tastes of one person. Hopefully the lessons of Ackerman will one day open my senses to the superiority of her own.
Haha you've got some sass for Ackerman, don't you? I like it.
ReplyDeleteI actually like the smell of cigarettes on clothing, but not the smell of cigarettes themselves. I also hate the taste of a freshly smoke-showered mouth, but love the smell of smoky breath. Cigarettes/smoke in general are a complicated smell to take on. Sometimes I wonder if I like it because of all the time I spent at my aunt/uncle's house who were both avid smokers. I feel like everyone has an opinion when it comes to cigarettes, one of the few smells that is kind of universally recognizable. Universal in America, actually, maybe not everywhere. But actually in a lot of other places.
I agree that it's so hard to describe smells. It's smoke so... it smells smoky, right? I guess Ackerman uses extended metaphors to relate smells to her readers, but that in itself is hard to do. The sentence where you combine leather, cigarette smoke, and cherry blossoms gives me a pretty accurate description of what this girl must have smelled like, though. Also, I'm surprised to know that you realized her cherry blossom scent was from B&BW. Isn't that store like a man's doom or something?
ReplyDeleteVery well done - I especially feel like you really captured a specific smell/taste of someone, and I really like the sentence "Whenever going for a social smoke after a couple drinks, I am always reminded of my leather wearing girl who mixed her cigarette smoke with cherry blossoms."
ReplyDeleteAlso, "Dammit Ackerman!" is my new mantra.
The mix of cherry blossoms and smoke is an interesting description, and I don't think you really need that much more in so far as description after "sweet and smokey." As far as taste is concerned,I think you do a good job. Cigarettes have a definite earthy taste especially after its been smoked.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty solid, and I too like the cig/cherryblossom combo that you notice, but the essay is so engaging that I'm actually left a little cold because I end up wanting to know more about the girl and the fling and actual circumstance of your mouthful of hair.
ReplyDeleteHow about a scene? Dialogue?
Keep up the smelly work.
DW