This week let’s write a park poem. For this prompt let’s use the noun instead of the verb but which kind of part is up to the poet. Write about a park in a city, a national park, an amusement park or any other kind of park.
Post your park poem in the comments below.
About Bartholomew Barker
Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. 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 lives and writes poetry.
Living Poetry 
poetry in the park
it was to be a poetic day in the park
I went there looking for Dove
or even Sparrow
so few cars for a Saturday
probably because of the light rain
it made it hard to see anyone inside
I didn’t want to look strange staring
but I did anyway
no one looked familiar
there was a white van sitting alone
isn’t there always a white van
in every suspenseful story
I braved the rain and
walked to the driver’s side window
of course it was tinted
and slowly opened
there was a big man
he didn’t look like a poet
not in camo fatigues
and then I saw a second one
his twin brother only bigger
I asked if they were there
for the “Meetup” a poetry thing
I was stuttering by now
they didn’t answer
just stared at me
like they didn’t understand
I said thanks and walked away
looking over my shoulder
as they looked at each other
and then at me
I couldn’t move fast enough
I went to the park
looking for a couple of birds
and found a couple of raptors
my poetic mood had changed
to survival in the rain
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Posted by Dennis w Gray | May 29, 2023, 10:58 AMDisturbing! I wouldn’t have had the guts to approach the van.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | May 29, 2023, 4:19 PMI admit, I played with the word.
Park
Too beautiful a day to stay
inside, birds bathing
in sprinkler rain that
outsparkled droplets on roses.
I put my car in park
at the park down the street.
Parked myself on the bleachers,
threw my parka on the ground,
let the sun bake my skin
while players hit it
out of the park.
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Posted by nolchafox | May 29, 2023, 4:00 PMWell done! Nothing wrong with playing with the prompt word. I especially liked the “outsparkled droplets on roses” line.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | May 29, 2023, 4:21 PMThank you! Glad you enjoyed!
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Posted by nolchafox | May 29, 2023, 4:54 PM“Bake my skin”…love this!
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Posted by Tina Hudak | May 30, 2023, 10:17 AMThank you, Tina!
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Posted by nolchafox | May 30, 2023, 10:22 AMLikeLike
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | May 29, 2023, 8:22 PMPLUVIOPHILE
The silver curtain oscillates
with the rhythm of the autumn wind
drenching every surface
of the park
outside my kitchen window
Vaugely the bird songs come through
in the gaps of house chores
until coffee is ready
and a book is chosen
The inviting moist timber chair
and the wet wrought iron table
in the patio
soaking in the rain
My face meets the ash sky in delight
The coffee cup will soon be overflowing
with laughter
The poetry in the book starts shedding
tears of joy
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Posted by Cassa Bassa | May 30, 2023, 6:01 PMLove that first line and the title, of course. I was with you until the last line where the book gets wet. I hope that’s merely poetic license. Great work!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | May 30, 2023, 7:10 PMHaha I don’t ruin books, I promise.
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Posted by Cassa Bassa | May 30, 2023, 8:10 PMWhew! Damaging books is powerful taboo that was installed in me as a child. I feel much relief.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | May 30, 2023, 8:19 PMOur Private Park
tall trees and giant shrubs
line the sides and back
it tilts to the right
rainwater gushes from the left
carving through the ground
if the gap is filled with river stones
will the water seep instead of tear the earth?
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Posted by Second Act Blogger | June 2, 2023, 5:20 PMLove the “carving through the ground”, that’s exactly what water does. Well done!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | June 2, 2023, 6:36 PMThank you
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Posted by Second Act Blogger | June 2, 2023, 6:47 PMI’ve been to this park. Well done
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Posted by JeanMarie | June 4, 2023, 11:30 PMThe neon lights
Sonny and Ricky’s games
blended like chalk pastels
in the 3 AM fog
Queen of the night
coming in off the water
wrapping everything in moist cool blanket
a hanging mist chasing everyone home
who did not knew her Majesty
We walked, hand-in-hand
along the water
waves murmuring
away from the light
away from the inaudible noise
until it was just us three
anticipating the first glow
of the coming June day and
loss of this comforting night
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Posted by Chris Clarke | June 13, 2023, 1:22 PMGorgeous! Especially that last line. Great work!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | June 13, 2023, 7:47 PM