Aromatica Poetica

A stylized garlic blossom rises like a botanical icon, its bulb rendered in creamy whites and purplish reds that swirl into curved, sensual segments. From this plump, glowing base, two deep-green leaves flare upward, framing a tall stem topped with a dense, spherical cluster of small violet-magenta flowers. The piece appears as a soft-toned triptych, each panel darkening progressively from left to right, giving the central image a luminous, almost devotional presence. Created and described with ChatGPT for “The Transformation.”

“The Transformation” * Poetry * Sambhu Ramachandran

aromatica poetica November 14, 2025

your gaze has gone straight through me like a vampire’s flashing fangs through a blue throbbing vein embossed on a bare slanted neck slick with sweat & I am already waiting feverishly in love’s unventilated vestibule for the moment of transformation the full moon night of losing myself in you that will rend me apart terrorising me with its blend of weakness and strength ecstasy & escalation of pain the senses grow suddenly sharper now I can hear your heart …

A group of people sitting together on a hay-covered wagon pulled by a horse on a Halloween night. The atmosphere is joyful and celebratory, with one person holding a large, brightly colored rainbow pride flag up high. The people on the hayride are waving and smiling, dressed in various colorful clothes. Warm, glowing autumn trees surround the path, and the dark sky is dotted with a few stars. The whole scene is painted with a soft, dreamy quality, giving it a festive and inclusive feeling. By ChatGPT – inspired by “Hard to Get” by Mike Lewis-Beck.

“Hard to Get” * A Short Story * Mike Lewis Beck

aromatica poetica October 13, 2025

Hilda believed she couldn’t marry Rick, even though she loved him. She believed this because she stood married to Herbert, her first love. Her mother, Audrey Ann, told her, the morning of the twenty-pew church wedding at Lovely Lane Methodist. “Hildie, marriage makes us whole, in the eyes of our Lord, in the eyes of friends and family—love, honor, and obey. Herbert has moved up to second teller at the bank. He’s clean cut and never drinks on Sundays. When …

The image is a playful collage poem made from cut-out words and phrases arranged on a muted green background. Each scrap of text is torn from a different printed source, giving the composition a fragmented, tactile feel. The poem moves vertically down the page in a meandering path, beginning with the bold declaration “poetry was appetite” and ending with the surreal punchline “the moon was a meatball.” The piece mixes lofty themes—poetry, memoir, hard work, the moon—with earthy, humorous imagery of bread and meatballs, creating a whimsical tension between the profound and the absurd.

“poetry was appetite” and Other Visual Poems by J.I. Kleinberg

aromatica poetica October 1, 2025

Author’s note: “poetry was appetite” and the other four visual poems below are from an ongoing series of collages (2900+) built from phrases created through the happenstance of magazine page design. Each contiguous fragment of text (transcribed as a poetic line) is entirely removed from its original sense and syntax. The text is not altered (except for the occasional deletion of prefixes, suffixes, or punctuation) and includes no attributable phrases. The lines of each collage are, in most cases, sourced …

A cluster of delicate jasmine flowers with soft pink and white petals is displayed prominently. The flowers are bathed in warm light, highlighting their gentle hues. Beyond the flowers, there is no distinct background visible, just a soft, neutral backdrop that doesn't provide specific details about the surroundings. The parts of the flowers, such as the petals and buds, are prominent and clearly visible, showing their delicate structure and suggesting the sexy scent of indole.

“Jasmine: the Indole Paradox” * Nonfiction * Fiona Lindsay Shen

aromatica poetica April 17, 2025

It starts as a faint whiff of horse sweat and stables. On Spring nights when I walk home from the subway through our compound in Shanghai, I can map where I am in relation to the jasmine vines surging over the rockeries. Under lantern light, these boulders look as though they are capped with snow. From twenty feet away, the scent is seductive – a mix of barely-ripe banana, paperwhites, and pony muzzle. Ten feet away, it’s intoxicating. Especially if …

A serene and somewhat eerie landscape of a graveyard with rolling hills. The scene is depicted in shades of black, gray, and blue, giving it a watercolor effect. Numerous tombstones with crosses are scattered across the hills, some in the foreground and others fading into the distance. Bare trees with thin branches stand among the graves, adding to the somber atmosphere. In the sky, a few birds are flying, enhancing the tranquil yet haunting feel of the scene. Tall grasses and plants are visible in the foreground, swaying gently as if moved by the wind. Created with ChatGPT for this review of Sapphires on the Graves.

‘Sapphires on the Graves’ by Scott Ferry * Review by Peter Mladinic

aromatica poetica April 9, 2025

God and I, earth and sky, and family are all-significant in Scott Ferry’s book of poems, Sapphires on the Graves (Glass Lyre Press, 2024). A book of prose poems stylistically void of capital letters, the lower case g for God, complemented by the lower case i, suggests poetry is more about questions than answers. Ferry’s lower case g suggests the secular, an entity in the universe, a creator of all or nothing. His lower case i connotes we; he writes from …

Five tea bag mini paintings by Oormila that, according to ChatGPT, “combine organic textures, delicate botanical illustrations, and an ephemeral quality, transforming an everyday object into a work of art.” Read full descriptions of each at the end of the post.

Five Botanical Micros + Mini Tea Bag Paintings by Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad

aromatica poetica February 20, 2025

A note from Oormila: Each of these micros has been paired with a miniature painting I made in mixed-media, on used and dried tea bag silk. These are part of a series of over 150 paintings that I painted on tea bags last year when I weaned myself off coffee and started drinking tea. I wanted to recycle the tea bags and I had the idea for making them into mini-canvases. The paintings in this submission have the same title as the micros …

A soft pink background sets the stage for this layered erotic lit perfumes collage. The base layer features a subtly blurred photograph of an elegant silver tray with curved, ornamental handles extending outward on both sides. The tray rests on a neutral-toned surface, holding an oval-shaped perfume bottle labeled “Les Cahiers Secrets”, with a gold spherical cap. Surrounding the bottle are scattered yellow flower petals, adding a delicate, natural touch. Superimposed on this background are five distinct perfume bottles, each slightly transparent, creating a dreamy, layered effect. These bottles are arranged in a balanced composition: 1. Far left: A rectangular glass bottle labeled “Delta of Venus” (Eris), with a black cap and a pale, translucent liquid inside. 2. Slightly left of center: A vintage-inspired bottle with vertical ridges, a golden cap, and a black velvet bow at the neck. The label reads “Marissa Zappas”. 3. Center: The original bottle from the tray, “Les Cahiers Secrets,” remains clearly visible, reinforcing its role as the focal point. 4. Slightly right of center: Another tall rectangular bottle labeled “Belle de Jour” (Eris), with a black cap and golden liquid. 5. Far right: A modern, minimalist square bottle labeled “Nishane”, featuring a gold cap and a warm amber-hued perfume. The semi-transparent effect of the superimposed bottles gives the impression of a layered memory, a sensual haze, or a soft-focus dream—an aesthetic that evokes elegance, nostalgia, and a sense of intimate luxury. The pink background adds a warm, romantic, and slightly playful touch, while the metallic accents from the tray and perfume caps create a subtle contrast.

“Erotic Literature Hits the Bottle” * Nonfiction * Beatriz Zimmermann

aromatica poetica February 12, 2025

You always remember your first erotic book. That deep unexpected stirring that comes from mere words suddenly pulsating on the page. It’s safe to say D.H. Lawrence’s long-banned Lady Chatterley’s Lover inspired a whole generation of lady of the manor fantasies while taboo tales like The Story of O and Venus in Furs swerved into a decidedly S&M space, immediately taking their place as classics for the whipped-into-a-frenzy crowd. Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying (recently feted for its 50th anniversary) …

The image depicts a surreal scene of a barren tree in a snowy winter landscape with Canadian banknotes hanging from its branches, as if they were wilting leaves. The banknotes include denominations of 5, 20, and 50 Canadian dollars, each featuring the iconic maple leaf symbol. The scene is set at night, with a dimly lit road stretching into the distance, lined with utility poles. The overall atmosphere is cold and mysterious, with a sense of isolation emphasized by the snow-covered ground and the dark, expansive sky. By Godin plus ChatGPT

“2 a.m. Uber on a Winter Night” * Poetry * Leah Mosier-Farquharson

aromatica poetica February 5, 2025

You can’t have expectations for a 2 a.m. pick-upand so it should’ve seemed entirely natural,greased Dali moustache, red-leather interior,the neutral Honda,low to the curb like an anesthetized drunk in their 20son a winter night. We climbed in the backseat,the driver’s ensuing monologue making ustravelling disciples. Secular wine-drunk,looking for a good story or something to believe in. Our fault for asking, “How are you?”The bait, his response; “Not good.”We didn’t even need to provoke, the answers came as freelyas the air’s …

The photo shows a stunning landscape of a volcanic mountain range in Indonesia. In the foreground, there is a volcano emitting a plume of white smoke, which contrasts with the surrounding green and brown terrain. The volcano is surrounded by a sea of clouds or mist that blankets the lower areas, creating a mystical atmosphere. In the background, there are more mountains, with one prominent peak rising above the others. The sky is clear and blue, with a few scattered clouds, suggesting a bright and clear day. The overall scene is serene and majestic, capturing the natural beauty of the volcanic landscape.

“Sometimes” (“Kadang-Kadang”) * A Poem of Indonesia * John RC Potter

aromatica poetica January 30, 2025

Sometimes Sometimes, I miss you. I can’t forget you. You’re not far away, because I can never forget Indonesia. I remember one day we went to a mountain. This mountain is too high, you said to me. You can’t climb; foreigners can’t do it, turn around, go back! But we walked there, to the top of the mountain. Me and you, together. At the top, you took my hand; we looked at West Java below us: the ocean sparkling in …

A whimsical fairytale scene of a small, green dragon perched on a tree branch. The dragon has a vibrant green body with scales that shimmer, and its underbelly is a bright golden yellow. It has two wings that are also green with golden highlights. The dragon's head is adorned with small, horn-like protrusions, and it has a friendly, curious expression. The tree it is resting on has a thick, textured trunk and branches with lush green needles. The background is a soft, mystical green, and there are small glowing orbs scattered throughout, resembling fireflies or magical lights, adding to the magical atmosphere of the scene.

“Koan” * A Fairytale Poem in English and German * Kerstin & Werner Schulz * Plus Audio

aromatica poetica January 22, 2025

Author’s note: My father, Werner Schulz, passed away last January after a long battle with cancer. He was a retired German professor who taught German language and literature as well as the occasional course on Folklore. He left me his collected creative works which are unpublished except his dissertation on Johannes Bobrowski, an East German early 20th century poet. Over the past year I’ve chosen to translate some of his “fairytale” pieces from German into English. Koan translated by …