Poetic Perfumers – Another Student’s Poetic Take on an Assignment
Originally published Aug. 1, 2013
My student Claire Lautier – who is already an accomplished perfumer, and a member of the Natural Perfumers Guild – surprised me with a poem about the production of aromatics. who would have thought to find poetry in the growth, harvesting, distillation, enfleurage and other aspects of extracting the essences? Well, actually, there is a lot of poetry in the process, but it takes an artist to ‘extract’ the words and turn them into art.
Exhale
A seed, a blueprint for a life
Spiraling roots down into the dark damp
Holds the earth and is held, still blind
The volcanic flutter
A gossamer moth’s wing within
That yet
Moves tides
Sends planets hurtling through space
Forces to the light
A tender tendril
This one not crushed underfoot
With mighty swoops
through the telescoped eye of time
shudders toward the Sun
Through the fat drops of rain
It has a destiny
A good thing it’s fearless
Now all in flower
Swaying with its sisters in the sacred hills
Where generations have been cut down
Sacrificed on the altar of Alchemy
I must have you, He says
It’s not enough
That you perfume the breeze
Too ephemeral, whipped away
I will contain you, keep you here,
I will capture you and make you mine
(For though he is a god
He is not immune to fear
And desire)
Exhale, he commands
Petals drown in fat
Exhale
Exhale
Pressed upon the pane
Transfer your breath
To the thick and airless frame
Saturated, drunk, sated and spent
His memory blotted by the lustful bender
The pale wilted petals are plucked away
For the powers have been passed
The molecular dance is a slow
Heavy shuffle of dozing bodies
Leaning together
trapped and weighted
Plump and sticky
To be scraped off and bathed
In alcohol
Pure again, cool and clear
And sober
The few drops yield of a passionate night
Is pristine
A liquid ruby
His eyes roll inward
Aroused again by what was rendered up
The waft of a thousand thousand breezes
Infinite innocent seduction
I never wanted your body
He says
I always want your soul
copyright Claire Lautier 2013
Claire’s Bio:
Claire Lautier is the founder and owner of Grasse Roots Perfumery. She came to Natural Perfumery through many years in the creative arts. Claire has been a professional actor of stage and screen for twenty years, and is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who actively follows the three streams of creative inspiration which dominate her life: Acting, Natural Perfume, and Gyrotonic Expansion System® (of which she is a certified teacher). She sees these as ‘all the same’ and is happiest when in the flow of creative energy, whatever its form. She is an honor graduate of Duke University and the Juilliard School, a fluent French speaker, and happily makes her home in Stratford, Canada.
Tell me, admit it, didn’t that poem delight and surprise you? Do you want to put yourself in the role of a student and look at your perfumery work in a new way? Aba Williams did so recently, and now Claire. Do you feel the rush of looking at something with fresh eyes – and noses – and psyches?
Absolutely delightful Claire. You’re an inspiring woman!
Lovely!
A beautiful rendition! A work of art – paints a gripping picture of flower petals giving up their fragrant essence and the ecstasy experienced by the person who smells it.
Thank you, Aba. I very much enjoyed your whimsical poem as well!
xo
Claire
wow. that is a beautiful poem.
Thank you for sharing.
absolutely beautiful
Very beautiful and inspiring!
Thank You!
In Light,
Nina
Nina, send me your address privately, and I’ll send you one!
Warmly,
Anya