Smelling Nature as Important as Seeing It

Recently I became aware of one of  Emily Dickinson's nature poems.

From Wikipedia

 
  Nature is what we see,
The Hill, the Afternoon--
    Squirrel, Eclipse, the Bumble-bee,
Nay--Nature is Heaven.

    Nature is what we hear,
The Bobolink, the Sea--
    thunder, the Cricket--
Nay--Nature is Harmony.

    Nature is what we know
But have no Art to say,
    So impotent our Wisdom is
To Her Simplicity.



I love the simplicity of the poem and respect for nature.  But the poem ended too soon for me, so I decided to add a stanza of my own, focusing on another sense:

    Nature is what we smell,
The Earth, the Mint Leaf--
    Pines, Flower Blossoms, the Rain--

Nay--Nature is Rich.





I decided to focus on a sense that we often overlook--or undersmell!  Smells of nature, research has shown, can reduce stress and boost the immune system. This research from a Tokyo scientist was reported in an Atlantic Cities web article.

Another reason it is better to get outside.

But I don't need more evidence that getting outside is a good thing.  However, today, I think I'll take a deep breathe and smell the nature around me.

I have added a stanza to the original poem.  What stanza would you add?