The Poetry Box

Debbie Hall

“In the Assisted Living Home”
by Debbie Hall

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“In the Assisted Living Home” by Debbie Hall, published in Mixtape: Marginal States, released in December 2025, has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. To choose our nominees this year was especially challenging, for we published 31 books, including 1,080 poems in total. Among all of these amazing and moving poems, this poem continues to be one of my favorites.

I couldn’t help but smile every time I read this poem. What a glorious celebration of life; our bodies—in all its beautiful forms; and to never taking ourselves so seriously we forget to let our mouth curve into a faint smile. If I live to be 98 years old, I will wear purple gloves and go for a naked stroll.

Please enjoy the poem, and feel free to leave a comment.

In the Assisted Living Home

by Debbie Hall

William stands naked
in the foyer, gripping his walker,
fingers shielded from sticky germs
by bright purple surgical gloves.

Sipping her scotch and water
in the living room,
my mother raises one eyebrow
and her mouth curves
into a faint smile
as she watches him.

It’s too damn hot in here!
William barks.

Perhaps he is counting on shock value
to deflect attention
from the 30 rolls of toilet tissue,
12-pack of paper towels
and 100-count box of rubber gloves
he has pilfered and stashed
beneath his bed.

And yet, this laying in of supplies
may indicate
nothing more than
William’s strong belief
in his potential for a long life.
Who would not call that
a healthy outlook at 98?

Who would deny him
the privilege of walking naked
down the hallway,
skin glistening,
every motion of his body
a triumphant song?

from Mixtape: Marginal States by Debbie Hall (The Poetry Box, 2025)
nominated for The Pushcart Prize by Shawn Aveningo Sanders, editor/publisher

The Poetry Box LIVE for KIDS! (Apr 9, 2022)

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Graphic (full) for The Poetry Box LIVE--April 2022

The Poetry Box LIVE – Special Edition for KIDS!

April 9, 2022 @ 2:00 PM (Pacific) / 5:00 PM (Eastern)

Featured Poets:

 

Enjoy a Video from the Show Below:

 

ABOUT THE POETS 

Cover-IntheJaguar'sHouse

When Debbie Hall was a child, she dreamed of going on safari in Africa one day.  In the past ten years, she has done just that—three times in fact. She’s also photographed wild animals in many other countries in the world.  Poetry and photography are her twin creative passions. Both her writing and photography have won awards and publication in a variety of journals and magazines.  She is the author of two previous collections of poetry for adults, including her chapbook, Falling into the River (3rd place in The Poetry Box Chapbook Prize, 2019). In the Jaguar’s House is her first book of poetry for young people.  Debbie lives with her family in Escondido, California, near a lake where red-tailed hawks soar, and coyotes sing at night.

You can order Debbie’s new book HERE

And here’s a sneak peek from the pages of
In the Jaguar’s House:

 

Book Cover of The Galloping Garbage Truck

Pamela R. Anderson is the author of three poetry chapbooks, including Just the Girls: A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies; A Drift of Honeybees (The Poetry Box); Widow Maker (Finishing Line Press), a chronicle of her husband’s cardiac arrests/recovery; and her book of poems for children, The Galloping Garbage Truck (Kelsay Books). Formerly a public radio fundraiser, Anderson hit the jackpot when she retired and began to channel her energies into hiking with her husband, practicing yoga, writing, and reading. She has never owned a red bathing suit.

 

You can order Pam’s book HERE

 

And here’s a little sneak peek of Pam reading “Buttons”

 

Head for the Hills f. Debbie Hall & Shawn Aveningo Sanders – Nov 24

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Poster Designed by Dale Champlin

Head for the Hills
Hosted by Sherri Levine

Featuring Debbie Hall & Shawn Aveningo- Sanders

Tues, November 24, 2020
at 7 pm

via Zoom

To Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85954776254?pwd=ZjUrMlBybWNPUXJielBMSHpyaUdoUT09

Meeting ID: 859 5477 6254
Passcode: 616315

About the Readers:

Shawn Aveningo-Sanders is the author of What She Was Wearing, an inspirational book of poetry/prose that reveals her #metoo secret—from survival to empowerment. Shawn’s poetry has appeared in, Amsterdam Quarterly, CALYX, American Journal of Poetry and Poets Reading the News, and many other literary journals. She’s co-founder of The Poetry Box® press, as well as managing editor for The Poeming Pigeon.

Debbie Hall is a psychologist, photographer and writer who lives in southern California. She is thrilled that her chapbook, Falling Into The River, won third place in the 2019 Poetry Box Chapbook Prize. She feels incredibly fortunate to have had the time and means to launch a second career as a poet after retiring from psychological practice. Debbie completed her MFA in 2017 at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.

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