This week let’s write a poem about inhaling. Could be about that last breath before you dive in or the first breath when you emerge or it could be all about what you’re inhaling. Let’s see where the inspiration leads in the comments below.
About Bartholomew Barker
Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.
Living Poetry 
Inhale to Exhale – An Acrostic
I take in a breath
Not a little one, but gasping just the same
Hearing those words
Asking me for something I cannot give
Leaving me with wondering
Expecting you to leave
LikeLiked by 2 people
Posted by Lisa Tomey | July 29, 2019, 8:10 AMVery nice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | July 29, 2019, 9:04 PMThank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Lisa Tomey | July 29, 2019, 11:25 PMNice. Bonus points for the form!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Posted by JeanMarie | July 30, 2019, 1:14 AMThank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Lisa Tomey | July 30, 2019, 6:21 AMAs she began drifting off to sleep
The music filled her ears
Tears filled her eyes
The cold dark space brought her such peace and comfort tonight
It was a reminder to her, she made it through another day
And this day was no different than those that came before it
But the difference was her outlook
As her body begins to release the tension of the day
She mindfully starts unwinding
Scanning the moments that were a reflection of her day
She was having a good day
Experiencing some genuine moments that made her smile
Some that touched her soul
Some anxiousness but not too extreme and it was manageable
She, again went back to focusing on letting go of the negative and celebrating the positive
A few short cycles of quick breaths
Inhale, exhale
Inhale, exhale
Inhale, exhale
Focusing on her breathing while being aware of her surroundings
Taking a long deep breath in and with the slow release of a cleansing breath out
She sighed deeply to exhale all the toxic energy
Tomorrow she will wake refreshed
She will inhale positivity
She will exhale negativity
She will focus on kindness
She will allow herself to feel the emotions
She will see the good in those that surround her
She will practice patience
She will spend her time mindful of each moment, while offering gratitude for the life she has been given so graciously
Her broken pieces do not define her today or tomorrow
They never have
She is seeing that with clarity now
They are simply a piece of who she is, not the entire picture
She offers gratitude for that today and tomorrow
And all the days that come after that forever more.
She will remember
She is beautifully and wonderfully made
She is talented and accomplished
She is loved
She is thoughtful
She is passionate
She is inspirational
She is intelligent
Because she so is
She is worthy of all life has to offer her
She is breathing in her blessings
She is realizing her value
She is taking control
She is enough
She always was
She just couldn’t see that through the pain
xoxo
♥️me
Thebrokeninsideofme
7/4/2019
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by amazinggraceandpersonalspace | July 29, 2019, 8:36 AMWell done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | July 29, 2019, 9:06 PMThank you ♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by amazinggraceandpersonalspace | July 29, 2019, 9:08 PMWhat a lovely, mindfulness dedication!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Posted by Lisa Tomey | July 29, 2019, 11:28 PMThank you so much ♥️
LikeLiked by 2 people
Posted by amazinggraceandpersonalspace | July 29, 2019, 11:36 PMInspiration
The red numbers
on the fingertip monitor
change rapidly.
94, 92, 89, 88
A woman in scrubs says:
Smell the roses.
Blow out the candles.
I take a deep sniff
of room air with oxygen
then sigh loudly
dropping my shoulders.
The monitor numbers rise.
I keep my mind on the task,
pushing aside memories
of similar walks in other halls.
God, have you abandoned me?
Where is my inspiration?
Smell the roses.
Blow out the candles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by JeanMarie | July 30, 2019, 1:16 AMGreat refrain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | July 30, 2019, 5:43 PMJust posted my Inhale poem here: https://bartbarkerpoet.com/2019/07/30/asthma/
LikeLike
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | July 30, 2019, 6:50 PM