Yvette Green
APPLE TOBACCO AND GASOLINE
for my father
It was the scent of apple tobacco and gasoline that heralded his presence
And it always made me smile
For I knew everything would be alright
When he was around
He was born with a southern drawl underlined with a gentle growl
A voice that brooked no foolishness
Yet he had an easy laugh that rumbled from deep within
The man had a lot of soul
Being very little at five I got lost in crowds easily
And for what seemed miles and miles and miles
All I could see were legs and arms and would get scared
But then, a bouquet of apple tobacco and gasoline came to me and fast calmed my fear
As I was swooped up into the arms of my dad, guess what?
I smiled and felt happy again
For many years it was that safe scent that assured and gave me love and confidence
Then my world changed forever
Sickness came and
The very smell I loved ravaged his body, took him from this earth
Then one day as I was cleaning out my room
I came upon one of his old work shirts
There still was a trace of apple tobacco and gasoline
And guess what? I smiled again
Yvette Green is a resident of Inglis House, a wheelchair community in Philadelphia.
She has been writing poems and stories on and off since she was a teenager. Green graduated from
Montgomery County Community College with an AAS in Mental Health and from Neumann University with
a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She participates in the Inglis House Poetry Workshop and is a founding
member of Wordgathering.
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