Hir brother-in-law Hal,
a retired state senator
from Michigan peered out
from his black-frame glasses
and told of his first campaign,
going door to door
in the predawn of October,
a maiden voyage of sorts,
past the crow-strewn fields,
the cold and silent mailboxes
farther and farther apart,
of a farmer inviting him in
for a cup of coffee
and at his kitchen table,
leafing through Hal's brochure,
smiling and saying, Look,
your credentials are impressive,
but no one here will care.
Friend, you're in Ohio.