Family Trait

I have a large nose.
It’s a family trait
and you would think my sense
of smell would be great but

I can’t smell the aromas
in the kitchen nor
the pungent smells
of the city streets.

I can’t even catch the whiff
of my perfume
when I want to go out at night

but I do have a great
nose for the smell of danger
and I’m good
at sniffing out a story.

I can smell a lie a mile away
and the smell of death
still overwhelms me.

So day after day I keep
my nose to the grindstone
and keep it clean and out
of other people’s business.

I never cut it off
to spite my face
and when I follow
this routine

the scent of money
is always strong
and the smell of success
is right under my nose.