Scents of Direction
Asad Jaleel – United States

A family moves West
Packing up all the sundry items
And traveling over mountain, prairie, and desert
Except the dog
No room in the truck
No pets allowed
One more creature left behind
Days later, boxes unpacked
New roots planted
And at the doorstep
Impossibly, inexplicably
The dog arrives
Having trekked across countless miles
Over mountain, prairie, and desert
Guided only by a familiar scent
And the celebrated canine nose
Nature throws down the gauntlet
See what Spot does for love
A dog can do it, but can you?

The Arabs call the dog — kalb
And they named the heart — qalb
Maybe they were on to something

They also tell a story of Joseph and Jacob
Joseph disappeared and Father Jacob wept
How long would you weep for your lost child?
So much that Jacob’s prophetic eyes went blind
And the vision of a prophet
Includes colors we have never known
When Joseph revealed himself to his brethren
He sent them home with his shirt
The mere scent of Joseph restored Jacob’s vision

Helen Keller called smell
The fallen angel of the senses
Angel indeed