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Pheromones, a poem by Skye Nicholson

Pheromones

Before
you were the sharpness
of Jameson
and cologne (the seduction and conquest kind)
of cigarettes freshly lit and love freshly made

Then later
you were the faded longing
of pillow memories and anticipation
of abrasive government-issue detergent and seasalt
and (too often) hops and pungent rage

Now
you are the comfort of treebones
citrus and skunky like your medicine
rubbed soft by sawdust
of sage or armpits
I am no longer bothered to know the difference


Skye Nicholson is a mother, writer, teacher, tree-hugger, and magic-seeker. She writes about life: her years of drinking, her awakening, trying to be present and figuring out how to be a parent.  She uses words to heal herself.  She currently lives in Columbus, Indiana, with her husband and two small children. Her writing appears on her blog, wakinguprazzledazzle.com, under the pseudonym Vixen Lea.