The Most Intimate Part of a Woman

I believe that smelling a woman's morning breath signifies the pinnacle of intimacy between a man and a woman. The actual odor is not appealing, but a woman revealing herself in such a manner uncovers a new side of herself, a side that she hides from most people.

One might argue that her vagina or breasts or lips are the purest sign of intimacy—that making love to a woman is the most intimate act there is. But there is a certain selfishness to sexual acts. The pleasure, even if physical and emotional, is still two-sided. The man gains some form of gratification from the the sexual act.

Sex can be an intimate act, for sure, but it is not the pinnacle of intimacy. The powerful, physical pleasure of sex is often the motivating factor, not intimacy. In the light of the morning, after the physical ecstasy and mystery have faded, if a woman still desires the truest form of intimacy, she can choose to whisper pungently, "Good morning." And if the man, too, desires this truest form of intimacy, he can choose to inhale.

Smelling a woman's morning breath means that she awoke to the man's presence. Whether or not they slept together, figuratively or literally, is irrelevant. For a woman to rise from her slumber and speak to a man without fear of being judged or mocked—that is vulnerability. And from that blooms true intimacy: an intimacy not rooted in pleasure but rooted in vulnerability and protection of that vulnerability.

Nakedness can be stolen by a voyeur. A kiss can be faked by a whore. But morning breath is the truth an Aphrodite hides from so many. To wake and smile and smell her say "Good morning," ah, that would be heaven.

I have seen the perfect woman in my dreams. She has no face. No body. She is just a mouth exhaling a humid feeling of contentment over my sleeping body. She whispers to me, "I am ready for you to see beyond the pasteboard mask." And, in my dreams, I listen to her scent.