As the tagline of this column explains, there are precise methods, an elemental madness, and an intrinsic humanity inherent to the auction business. As an auctioneer, I am also exposed to a type of twisted absurdity. These three senryu exemplify this…

Estate auctioneers:
brokering the dead’s chattel
to the not-yet-dead.

Sorting old photos,
I perused an entire life
in fifteen minutes.

A vintage couple
among the pocket monsters…
“I choose you, mustache!”
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]There’s far more to being a professional auctioneer than merely marketing merchandise. Each Wednesday, Behind the Block explores the precise methods, the elemental madness, and the intrinsic humanity of the auction industry.[/dropshadowbox]


