H. Palmer Hall

H. Palmer Hall

Half-Life

1.

Walking the dog, I came upon

   three fire hydrants and thirty

mail boxes I had not noticed before.

It took the dog’s nose, his hiked leg,

   to make me see that

all erect objects are not the same.

2.

Riding the bus, car in the shop,

   schedule clasped in my hand

to ride downtown then out again,

I knew it took the breakdown

   to show me an old woman

who farted in contentment next

to an old man who held his nose.