i always hated
the smell of nail polish

a toxic stench she would leave
in the living room
i’d plead for her
to paint those nails red
elsewhere,
anywhere,
a place where i wasn’t

and she would leave me to be
my miserable self
and i never knew how to say
stay

randomly i find myself alone
and catch a whiff
of nail polish

the scent
is perfume

ah, the wispy winds of love, casey...!
very good, like this. the drive to be left alone to be our miserable selves...!
too long, this: "a place where i wasn’t reclined/and trying to relax"?
tom

has turned into a perfume

i'd suggest you consider:
has become perfume

and tom's suggestion is right on the money

Thank you Tom and John, have updated with your feedback, appreciate the advice and for taking a read!

Great this, Casey. My thought on the ending was to cut out the 'i find' and then go very definite with  just 'the scent is perfume'.

milner

milner's right (as always).
john

thanks john and milner, have updated with suggestions - i hadn't noticed the double 'i find' so close near by - thanks for that this reads much smoother. thanks again for the feedback and taking the time to read -

Casey--Great read here and a thoughtful work on the small things that make love, love. I guess we know we have found 'the one' when we can acknowledge the things that bug us about the other person and just let them go. And not 'the one' when we can't. It is amazing what you miss about someone once they are gone. Very nice piece. The only suggestion I have is cutting 'be' in L10. When I read it that was a bump for me.

Casey, this is so true a story of how we find endearing that what we once found irritating by someone we loved and lost.  Understood well.

cheryl

Pick time.

milner

thank you all for the kind feedback and for the pick! really appreciate the support as i have been struggling of late - appreciate it

"the scent
is perfume"

KILLER!

tiko

nice, casey!

ld

Great piece it draws me in and I am left with a new perspective on the smell of nail polish.