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.
At dawn we start
since everyday is Labor Day
in whatever field we find ourselves
free to choose what we do
without fetters on our ankles
for there is a better way
to keep us productive
with chains that we make ourselves
on our most earnest three pounds
no taskmaster needed
to oversee that we tow the line
it is the charge we all do so well
seven days a week
because we always know best
Living Poetry 
I wrote this poem tonight but it’s only vaguely related to the prompt.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | September 5, 2022, 8:24 PMSo sad, Bartholomew…Sometimes it does seem that grief creates more experiences of pareidolia…Sharlyn
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Posted by ts19page | September 6, 2022, 4:45 PMHow interesting. I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if anyone’s done a study. Grief definitely alters perception.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | September 6, 2022, 5:02 PMAt dawn we start
since everyday is Labor Day
in whatever field we find ourselves
free to choose what we do
without fetters on our ankles
for there is a better way
to keep us productive
with chains that we make ourselves
on our most earnest three pounds
no taskmaster needed
to oversee that we tow the line
it is the charge we all do so well
seven days a week
because we always know best
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Posted by Chris Clarke | September 5, 2022, 4:30 PMI like the “chains we make ourselves”. Well done.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | September 5, 2022, 7:48 PMSHADORMA
fruit pickers
work hard all day long
for peanuts
little cash
the poor ripped off by the rich
to make big profits
so no point
holding up bibles
we’ve been warned
by scripture
pushing camels through needles
is not possible
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Posted by Rall | September 5, 2022, 12:00 PMHa! Nice biblical reference. I also like picking fruit for peanuts. Well done.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | September 5, 2022, 1:42 PMA maestro’s mind in ink by Brandon lee on amazon
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Posted by Brandon Lee | September 5, 2022, 7:10 AMSorry I can’t comment on your book since I don’t have a Kindle.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | September 5, 2022, 3:17 PMThats fine
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Posted by Brandon Lee | September 5, 2022, 3:25 PM