Because it diffuses

For a prompt by Poets United. The Thursday Think Tank #63- Something Stinks

“Kinsman,” he ventured,

“I smell of burning feathers doused in paraffin”

And as he said this, his wrinkled nose

Dilated, constricted, dilated again

“But,” he continued, “my nose hasn’t picked

A smell so vile as that of a liar’s;

His breath hits the pit of your stomach

Mixed with cheap honesty and adulterated

Knowy-snowy”

Upon which I said:

“You talk big, sir, speak from my level”

“Look at it this way:

The rancid smell of a lying tongue

Escapes the barricaded walls of a mouth

Why so?”

“I don’t know”

“Because it diffuses, my son, it diffuses

Bad smells have layers and levels

Like ethyl mercaptan, they stink to high heavens!

You smell pungent things everywhere in the city

From the broken sewer to festering wounds of

Beggars lying in the sun

In the evening, behind your closed doors

You will see the mouth of a politician open

Spitting tommyrot and carrion

For the next three hours you will spray air freshener

And see little or no result!”