An Ode to the Nose
Giving thanks this time of year.
An Ode To The Nose
Here’s to the nose
that little protrusion between the eyes
that does so much.
-
The quiet multitasker
we rarely thank,
the quiet compass we seldom notice
that does more for us
than we’ll ever admit.
-
It contains our breath,
in and out,
filtering what could harm us,
warming each inhale so our internal organs
receive something gentler,
something prepared.
Even the sound of our voice,
the tone that people know us by,
is shaped by the air that passes through it.
-
But it offers more
a sharp instinct,
alerting us before we’re even aware
smoke, gas, sourness, rot,
the world’s invisible alarms.
-
It makes food come alive,
turning texture and temperature
into something layered,
something flavorful,
something to crave.
-
It provides connection,
a hidden thread tying us to others,
drawing us close,
magnetic attraction,
shaping intimacy in ways barely realized,
the newborn to its mother
the familiar comfort of home.
-
It guides us through space and time,
orienting, grounding,
letting us move with a deeper sense of presence,
aware of the world in ways our eyes alone can’t capture.
Like a slingshot
a single whiff can propel the past
back into the present,
a childhood kitchen,
a grandmother’s garden,
an old lover’s perfume,
a time-traveling instrument sitting on our face.
-
So here’s to the nose,
a constant companion that asks so little
yet gives so much.
May we be grateful for it,
now and every day.
You might enjoy this poem too - Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face by Jack Prelutsky (1940).