Sophia Galifianakis: Buriden’s Ass

          Buriden’s Ass is a somewhat troubled philosophical thought experiment intended to highlight the deficiency of reason. 
          The hypothesis is  that if a hungry ass were placed before two identical bales of hay, it would starve to death for 
          lack of a good reason to choose one bale over the other. 

We stopped a glance at each other, passed
hungry for acknowledgement

we refused to offer. Two people

pretending not to see each other in passing
separate the way

the Common Snowdrop breaks a path

in winter. Impervious to cold,  its blossom bends
to the bone-white earth that calls it

downward,  in one unwavering moan.

And the bell of petals droops,
then dies

like hope in isolation,

in an exercise of dignity
or indiscretion: two people

pretending not to see each other are just

such solitary imprecision. You know
that Buriden’s ass starves of indecision. But we

are smarter than that, fat with facts

and the knowledge
that by turning away, quickly away

no one will call our passing hunger.