I bought this scent diffuser
from candlemania
that shop on oliver plunkett
that’s been claiming to close down
for about a year

it was lime and basil
a refreshing scent, i hoped
and home i walked
grinning from ear to ear
ready for the damp smell
to be eradicated from my room

i perched it atop my chest of drawers
a king surveying its soon to be
domain of fine scents

a great idea, i told myself
for it was right by my door
and would greet anyone who entered
with a cacophony of pleasure
upon their nose

the next morning
i awoke not to the smell of
moist mould spores penetrating my nostrils

but lime and basil
caressing my nose hairs with
the soft touch of an overly eager lover

though i could have laid there in bliss
for the rest of my life
duty called, and away i trundled to work
excited for the smells to greet me
whence i returned

and, oh, they did
but they were wrong
i could tell it was too strong

and my eyes landed on the diffuser
which had tilted ninety degrees

and spilled all over my wardrobe
i cried out in terror
leapt to and cradled it

tears welling in my eyes
perhaps due to grief

or the sheer amount of fucking
lime and basil wafting into them

who did this to you?
i shouted

a gust of wind?
uneven flooring?
or perhaps a dastardly gremlin?
who had made home in his empire of mould
and grew jealous of my love
for your kingdom of bliss

down the stairs and up again
i went, now holding kitchen towel
to clean up the blood and gut
of my dear lime and basil

and only then did i realise
with another shock of horror
my top drawer open

and its insides
covering every single one of my socks

i could not wear even one
without the incredibly damp reminder
of the life we once shared

and so into the wash they went
for i could not bear to smell it anymore
but my senses clouded by sorrow
i put other clothes in as well

silly me

thinking i could remove the reminders
of you all at once

now all my clothes smell
of lime and basil
of grief for a life i could have lived
a room that could have smelled like you

and i think
from now on
i’ll probably just use incense