I remember a long time ago, around the age of 14,

I went into a Berkeley Headshop on Telegraph Avenue.

I went straight for the natural perfumes, not the pipes,

casually arranged on a wooden step pyramid,

in little brown bottles with glass daubers.

I bought Rose Musk.
 

I will never forget it or anything about it.

Dabbing it on my wrists, the way it smelled,

the way it felt. How thick and sticky it was.

It was amazing.

My first true perfume love.

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And so my fascination with essential oils continues.

So, so, so many years going. 

My original inspiration always present.