about dorchester

every once in a while - between the stenches of inner-city pollution and trash, mingled with aromas from Puerto Rican, Virginian, and Liberian cooking - i'll get a whiff of the sea. sometimes it is so brief that my mind registers "ocean" without my properly smelling it at all. still, i get a sudden happy memory of sand and salt, and i hope for a stronger sea breeze to pass me. in the city, you can't seek the smell of the sea, and if you sniff too hard it is gone. so when it finds me, it is always this pleasant surprise. i'll miss that.