Thanks for the responses, everyone.
Glenn, "candelabra" was meant to refer to the flowers of the horse chestnut trees when they bloom:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aescul...anum_flori.jpg
Actual chestnut trees were nearly wiped out in the U.S. by a blight, so when I say chestnut, I mean horse chestnut. "Baroque" is the intended title, and "Florid" the cover title.
Roger, when I say "scents that smart" I am referring to the swoony kind of fragrance of lilacs, so gorgeous that it almost knocks you out. But also, I get hay fever in the spring, so the scents hurt in that way. With "empty chambers of my heart" I was trying to suggest the sensory deprivation of winter, followed by the sensory overload of spring. I love it, but it feels over-the-top, like the supersaturated colors of a Rubens painting.
Jan, I am still trying to decide whether "synapses" belong in the poem. They are part of the sensory overload theme of the poem.
Susan