Preserved in Amber

Fossilised resin crystals
from forgotten forests
encircle collar bones
toffee-like & organic
amber conjures
a timeless world
before flowers
insects immortalised
inside sweet sunlit orbs
beyond history

Now so-called amber notes
lay the basis for modern perfumes
product of our imagination
the alchemy of industry
pulse points flutter
no longer the pearl of a whale
amber’s soft earthy scent
furl memories seductively
like silk scarves in a breeze

catch on the mind’s barbed wire.