By Tom Odegard

Today, I intended to build a wall, 
install a door,
this poem got in the way.
A poem about hallways, passages, 
lights and switches; a single door 
serving two separate rooms 
requiring two latching jambs and 
one complete set of old hinges.
This puzzle resonates with 
my genetic disposition
what pleasure to find myself 
swinging on a single jamb
separating different rooms,  
different lives and visions.
We’re happy as one or other, 
but best of all prefer siblings, 
partners, friends, lovers 
meeting in the small hall 
when our door is both ways open.

Copyright 2007 Tom Odegard

This poem addresses two large issues in my life: An apartment we own had a single bathroom accessed off a bedroom. To accommodate other tenants, a hall was created in the bedroom and the original door to the bedroom, when half open, closed the bedroom but left access to the bathroom. The door when closed in its original frame gave access to the bathroom from the bedroom. This single door providing multiple entrances/exits is a “nice” parallel to my “Two Spirit” XXY on the 23rd chromosome condition. – Tom Odegard