Jodi Paloni: “Olfactory”

#353/365 Paintings

Jodi Paloni: Excerpt from “Olfactory”

Long curls brushed Burton’s cheek as he leaned to cup the edges of the vinyl swing seat with his palms. Mandy May smelled of the golden shampoo that Eliza kept for her granddaughter in the guest bathroom back at the house. The tenderness he could feel for this child just by the smell of her. The strength she gave him.

Statistics showed every day how easily confidence could fracture, suddenly, especially in girls. Queen bee and wannabes, like in that book Eliza read a few years back in her library group. The creak of the swing’s rusted hardware cut the crisp air in perfect rhythm as if to announce the state of the world–harsh, harsh, harsh.

…………….

Girl. Shampoo. Vinyl swing. Crisp air (I’m thinking about crisp perfume smells). Long curls.
I want more. Intrigued by the relationships around her and what is going on. Go Jodi!