Aggrilacious odor
(Greek and Latin concur)
Of earth-goddess veins;
“Petrichor” numbered and named by Joy
(Isabel, “pledged to Yah”),
With Homer riding high
(Homer, also “pledge”),
Receiving tribute
From Richard’s study wall
(rīk-hardu, “king strong”).
The lengths we have gone
To know and name all we know;
To reign like so many Richards
Over every mystery.
Even this ambrosial
Moment:
The sun baked day
Broken by earth kissing sky,
Oozing assayable fruit,
Sweet and rare enough
To be constantly recognized,
Yet never remembered by name.
Also Geosmin:
Aerosolized product
Of microscopic death,
An irregular sesquiterpene–
Words and worlds without end
(Ad olam, ad olam)
Many modes of wonder
Which also have names:
Phenomenological first,
But marvelously
Epistemic,
Philological as well,
And other word-loving wisdoms.
Gathered in what could be teracidal
(téras – “a miraculous wonder”)
Excess.
Sterilizing clayey surfaces
(Yes, clayey’s a word)
(And that’s how its spelled)
As the sun tries to do
On these scorching days at a stretch;
But only a few drops of rain
Foil wonder’s foe,
For few drops enter dry earth
At speeds more conducive
To softening,
release.
Conjugally conjuring
Golden juice from the rock,
Osmosing microcosmic
Geodesies,
And waking joy from her inches-deep
Grave.
You can listen to me read it here