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.
I’ve been editing for days the words of a friend.
Preparing to publish his life’s work before his end
He’s enamored of rhyme,
the sounds that end every other line …
and, at times, I want to gag, to choke
but, some, no, many, are simply sublime.
I stop
I listen
I read them again …
Just then an email comes in.
Inviting me to speak of what I see in the water …
It’s fresh, and cool
but, I wonder, what does it matter.
But it washes and cools me
And I sense how it moves me
His words and this water
as, calmed now I ponder
An immigrant’s life of passion in verse
And two dogs, with stick, pursuing their mirth
And, yes, I now know
it really does matter
more than, perhaps, I’ll ever know.
Well, yes, in the sense it’s entirely true and accurate. He, my friend, Patrick, a Tipperary native, living in St. Louis, sends me more poems almost nightly via email for inclusion in his book which I’m ”self” publishing for him. I awake early, get some coffee and set to work on his latest emailings … and, as the piece says, quite literally, ”just then an email comes in … ” – your Monday morning prompt.
Agus, tá Gaeilge agat! Maith thú! Agus tá fáilte romhat, a chara!
Living Poetry 
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | March 10, 2023, 7:03 PMWhat a Dope!
We had a lab
who wouldn’t fetch
until we added water
He played all day
and came away
and never fetched again
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Posted by Second Act Blogger | March 7, 2023, 9:25 PMI guess there’s no challenge in fetching on dry land. Nicely done.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | March 7, 2023, 10:48 PMPlease change my email address to calnordt@gmail.com. Thanks, Cal
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Posted by Cal Nordt | March 6, 2023, 1:18 PMSorry, Cal, I can’t do that for you. I could probably ban you but I can’t add you.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | March 6, 2023, 5:13 PMI’ve been editing for days the words of a friend.
Preparing to publish his life’s work before his end
He’s enamored of rhyme,
the sounds that end every other line …
and, at times, I want to gag, to choke
but, some, no, many, are simply sublime.
I stop
I listen
I read them again …
Just then an email comes in.
Inviting me to speak of what I see in the water …
It’s fresh, and cool
but, I wonder, what does it matter.
But it washes and cools me
And I sense how it moves me
His words and this water
as, calmed now I ponder
An immigrant’s life of passion in verse
And two dogs, with stick, pursuing their mirth
And, yes, I now know
it really does matter
more than, perhaps, I’ll ever know.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Posted by Donncha Ó Corcráin | March 6, 2023, 8:17 AMLovely! And perhaps autobiographical, Go raibh maith agat, Donncha!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | March 6, 2023, 5:11 PMWell, yes, in the sense it’s entirely true and accurate. He, my friend, Patrick, a Tipperary native, living in St. Louis, sends me more poems almost nightly via email for inclusion in his book which I’m ”self” publishing for him. I awake early, get some coffee and set to work on his latest emailings … and, as the piece says, quite literally, ”just then an email comes in … ” – your Monday morning prompt.
Agus, tá Gaeilge agat! Maith thú! Agus tá fáilte romhat, a chara!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Dennis or Donncha | March 7, 2023, 2:42 PM