Essence of Jasmine

In the privacy of the gated courtyard 

of the secluded cottage, in which 

I currently cherish 

my silent evenings 

and nights of solitude,

as one of the untouchables, 

there blooms a raucous, joyous 

wall of jasmine ivy.

The blossoms burst

open

to announce

their essence, 

just as the world shuddered, 

and we all shuttered 

down, 

either forgetting, or reconnecting, 

with our own. 

Fearlessly unphased, 

they reach out 

each time I pass, to tap

my shoulder, generally from behind,

snuggle me in close, 

and whisper a whiff,  

to remind me, in echoes, 

of what we all know

is essential.

— jaysi, apr 2020