the smells of the city come sifting through trees

i love this city just about as much as anyone, but there's a certain stench that takes over on hot, humid summer days that cannot be accounted for just by the mounds of trash rotting on the sidewalks, the overwhelming b.o. of the man whose arm arcs overhead on the subway, and the sticky trails of dog pee adorning the columns in front of our building. somehow everything that reeks comes together to create a special aromatic medley that can only be described as "new york in the summer." it's not a constant -- it will come upon you surreptitiously in moments of quiet reverie, as you stroll past a starbucks or hike into the sun from the subway stairs. as you gulp that first breath of fetid air, a wave of nausea strikes fast and hard. your only hope is that your next step will take you out of the cloud of ny stench... and into a welcome pocket of clean air.