Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. 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.
There was nothing to celebrate
this July 4th
No balloons or fireworks
Only cognitive dissonance
watching dancing people
in front of the Capital on TV
I could only remember
fellow citizens
storming the Capitol
in seething anger
PS – can someone check the blog setting? I am no longer receiving email at capenafiel12@gmail.com.
Onlookers and passerby gave them the cheers
Some even said congratulations
Little did they know
there goes his vitality into the thin air
Her belly is still flat
and her womb is still empty
each state
a different color
floating in a deep blue sky
over a loved heartland
manifestly repurposed
bound with bands of history and intent
slowly falling with each selfish act
an experiment in hubris
still aloft by bouyancy
not by shed grace
but by the cross product
of idealism and averace
What they won for us
was this warm day
the placid water
where small children play
The calm skies arc
protective and blue
the rose bends red
We amble by full and free
white clouds rise
above the old oak tree
which outlasted,
as did our own home,
the ax of wars,
our evening proclaims,
with stars.
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There was nothing to celebrate
this July 4th
No balloons or fireworks
Only cognitive dissonance
watching dancing people
in front of the Capital on TV
I could only remember
fellow citizens
storming the Capitol
in seething anger
PS – can someone check the blog setting? I am no longer receiving email at capenafiel12@gmail.com.
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Well said. Nothing but cognitive dissonance.
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Very nice and I totally agree. Cognitive dissonance, indeed.
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we dont see them
much anymore
balloons fall into
the category of teapot cosies
patchwork quilts and cucumber sandwiches
it’s nice being a dinosaur
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A lovely little meditation on obsolescence. Thanks for sharing!
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Great work!
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Enjoyed the research about helium that your work prompted. Thanks!
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A Funeral for Sperms
Onlookers and passerby gave them the cheers
Some even said congratulations
Little did they know
there goes his vitality into the thin air
Her belly is still flat
and her womb is still empty
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Very interesting. Those last two lines are excellent!
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I wanted to put a different spin to it. Glad it reads interesting.
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Depressing. But I appreciate the twist.
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each state
a different color
floating in a deep blue sky
over a loved heartland
manifestly repurposed
bound with bands of history and intent
slowly falling with each selfish act
an experiment in hubris
still aloft by bouyancy
not by shed grace
but by the cross product
of idealism and averace
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I Like ‘shed grace’ – from the America the Beautiful? But think the last word is spelled ‘avarice’.
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Yes, it is. Sorry for the misspelling. Thank goodness for spellcheck…
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You are right about spell check, personally, my spelling degrades with each passing year!
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Love the lines “each selfish act / an experiment in hubris” Great work!
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Won For Us
What they won for us
was this warm day
the placid water
where small children play
The calm skies arc
protective and blue
the rose bends red
We amble by full and free
white clouds rise
above the old oak tree
which outlasted,
as did our own home,
the ax of wars,
our evening proclaims,
with stars.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Love that second stanza and the last two lines. Great work!
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Thanks, Bartholomew!
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