lake Michigan smell lingered
in the grama --grampa house
you could smell the beach
and the sun and sand
in their basement
and in your clothes
when you went home
Molly could still smell it
in her beepee
her softie nighttime cuddle
so she put it in a Ziploc
to store and savor
when she came home
from the grama-grampa house
till she went again
it smelled of sun-toasty sand
lake water with algae
of driftwood campfire smoke
with notes of pine and hemlock and fir
from the woodsy back dunes
it was happy but also sad
joy mixed in with sorrow
evergreen sweet and spicy
but also salty, burny bitter
like stinging tears that hurt your eyes
Lake smell was best at bedtime
in the room and walls and blankets
smiley-quiet, not going anywhere
like a mommy and daddy
hugging and wishing me goodnight
The lake sang me to sleep
with her purring and growling
splashing and hissing
soft yet endlessly tameless
rocking me in her perfume
the grama-grampa house was
the only place I ever smelled
this wildy, salty, piney
sunny, dear, sad-sweet
achy-lakey Michigan scent
now the house doesn't smell the same
because the grama and grampa are gone
and they took it with them
to their new home where I can't go
and finally the tears start to fall...
Selah
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