The Essence

By Ramandeep Kaur Oberoi

It has been eight weeks since I have been swimming around,

And today I suddenly smell something as fresh as rain on the ground.

The water is warm and comforting like home,

In it I feel like I can freely roam.

The redolence is pleasant and the flavor saccharine,

I know this as I breathe and swallow this water like marine.

My olfactory receptors are impressive I must say,

I can begin to tell what was eaten for lunch today.

The owner of this swimming pool seems empowered,

I can taste and smell that fish they devoured.

The clock is ticking and weeks go by,

And in no time we realize it has been forty weeks- Oh my!

There goes the umbilical cord and I am taken to a room,

The emanation is familiar- Oh wait! It’s my mother’s perfume!

This poem is based on the development of Olfactory receptors (sense of smell) as early as 8 weeks gestation. The embryo in a mother’s womb breathes and swallows the Amniotic Fluid, which also carries the scent and flavor of the food consumed by the mother. Till after the end of 40 weeks, when finally the Umbilical cord is cut and the baby is welcomed by it’s mother’s arms where it recognizes her scent which is the baby’s first perfume, it’s first Essence!

By Ramandeep Kaur Oberoi