Odorbum, or the Odors of Reark

At Fairmount and Jefferson, all the plague patients diffused an odor of honey.

On Narrows Hill Road, bees flew from a bull’s entrails

& hornets from warlike horses.

In Churchville plagues swarmed out of the Buck Hotel

like dark clouds & hovered over the cities.

In quarantine, hived away in cells.

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Nursing incubated infants sour butter.

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Scarlet fever bread hot from the oven.

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Menstruation distinguished by an odor of leather. Saddled in blood, straddled abattoir of the body turned inside out, hung to dry

between earth & sky.

Chris & Jay (o death).

Hide: to turn “animal” inside out.

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Suppressed menstruation odor of hops

grain’s combustion.