On a walk with some trash
I don’t remember what autumn smells like, maybe vaguely of compost or something, but I think it might have smelled like that today, at least a little, as I was walking taking some trash to the recycling bins. It was sunny and a bit warm outside. The first yellow leaves lay scattered on the parks’ lawns, sparsely like one leaf or so per tree. I guess it would more likely have smelled of summer still, like I don’t know, I don’t remember that either but I guess plants? Like plants?
The cute little black dog wasn’t very happy about the route as he doesn’t like to venture too far from his known territory and I was getting a headache.
It came suddenly, blazing all the way through the skull to the teeth, like I pictured Harald Bluetooth would’ve felt all of the time.
I think it’s the cold I’ve been having these past few days which might have caused this, at least partially, like a final stroke of that cold.
Having reached my destination, as I was stuffing the folded cardboard into the opening of the steel container recycling bin, a wasp flew out drowsily. She was at the end of her short life span, as these worker wasps are seasonal creatures who will die when the cold comes unfortunately (for them).
She appeared to be angry, but I think it’s the stress of finding food and the urgency which might come when death draws near and having nothing to lose is what causes the aggressive and reckless behaviour.
In one way I could relate as I too was irritable from having a dog who wanted to go the opposite direction and a headache I could feel my pulse with. And also the sweat; cold sweat on my forehead.
Anyways as I was walking the way back home, the dog now pulling the leash eagerly, the wasp followed me like a bad omen. least I thought I saw a glimpse in the corner of my eyes half way back home. By then the headache had subsided and I felt numb.
I was numb and sweaty, no longer burdened by the trash, the headache or the wasp. The dog was eager. Home we went to where the coffee was waiting, and I know what it smells of: coffee. I had put a coffee on before we went, and it was on the machine we bought when we (my wife and I, not the dog) were poor so it doesn’t have a timer. Which was good this time for it was still hot when we came home.
I miss the smell of coffee