Petrichor

Janis Anne Rader

Cupping my ear you whisper 
secrets, our bodies combusting above the grassy knoll, 
its smell sweet and languorous 
After the rain 
After the long dry heat— 
You studied anatomy, particularly mine, phalanges 
stroking my liquid face, your scent more earthy 
than rain-dampened ground. Redolent, sweet  
petrichor, scent of first rain after the drought,  
born of oil, saffron-tinted isolate of silicate, mineral, rock.  
Nature’s jubilant chemical reaction, 
our chemistry wild & dissonant, impossibly succulent, rarely sweet 
After our long dry spell,  
After your hot breath 
opened that golden folder of elements, rock, earth, rain.

The Science

I love the scent of first rain on grass and had noticed this distinctive scent on my walks along the shore near my home. Research led to the discovery of petrichor, the sweet, earthy scent associated with rainfall, especially following a warm, dry period, that arises from a combination of volatile plant oils and geosmin. Geosmin (meaning earth smell in Greek) is a chemical odorant that is produced by the bacteria Streptomyces and released in soil when the bacteria die. The human nose is quite sensitive to geosmin. This chemical phenomenon inspired me to explore the volatile cadence and rhythm of romantic love. The word petrichor is derived from the Greek petra "rock" or petros, "stone" and ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology. Are we like gods when we fall in love, or when we come close to petrichor? This poem invites such contemplation.

The Poet

Janis Anne Rader is an American poet residing in Marin County, California. Besides poetry, she has an interest in earth science, music, and mathematics. Her poem ‘The Cellist’ was published in the Marin Poetry Center Anthology, Volume XXI (2018).

Next poem: Quiescence on track by Poorti Kathpalia