The Smell of Home

The Smell of Home
by Peter Christianson
Long Beach, California



Driving on a forgotten highway, his eyes hug the turns.
Sweaty palms guide the wheels into the driveway of his youth.
The aging puppy in the window barks ominously as the stranger approaches.
But the disguise of time is unmasked by a familiar scent.
“I missed you, rub my belly.”