Sent Of Dawn

On the screened porch with pets, we sniff,
heads up to catch this fragrance of June
in rural Virginia. Odors a unique mix,
a zone of mixed, deciduous, faithful
forest of oak, beech, tupelo, pine,
and sycamore. Frill of mosses, lichens,
leaf litter pounded in last night’s downpour.
Algae grows on wooden steps, between stones
on paths. On the air, as the sun comes up,
a scent I want to bottle, swallow whole
like an addict. To sit in morning quiet,
coffee mug in hand, to hold this moment
like the jewel it is. Values that brought me here,
what keeps me nearly sane year after year.