This week let’s write a poem with the words finger, forward and god in it. This is another of those prompts where I randomly choose three words from a list of the top 1000 words in the English language plus a few of my favorites. Post your poems 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 
I have yet to mention the word god in any of my poems …I think it’s too late to start now …
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Posted by ivor20 | August 21, 2023, 7:30 AMI think the concept of a god is interesting poetically, like a unicorn or a yeti.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | August 21, 2023, 7:18 PMI appreciate the concept Bart, maybe the hole I threw myself into is too dark and I cannot see the light … and I’ll wait down here with all the missing faeries …
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Posted by ivor20 | August 21, 2023, 8:04 PMBecareful down there. Faeries are mischievous.
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | August 21, 2023, 8:20 PMHaha … that’s me
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Posted by ivor20 | August 21, 2023, 8:28 PMAnd yet, if one takes the position that God is everywhere (I’m not sure if I’m religious enough to believe this), then God would be everywhere, including in poems that don’t mention God
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Posted by Jewish Young Professional "JYP" | August 22, 2023, 7:35 AMI am no theologist, but I’ll take your idea on-board and consider my poems worldy and worthy
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Posted by ivor20 | August 22, 2023, 8:41 AMSarge pointed toward an opening
in the tree line dead ahead …
‘Dead’ ahead? No, ‘death’ ahead.
… with a torn and bandaged stub
Of a hand where his fingers used to be.
War …
if God created everything,
Did He create this hell?
Or did She leave
the worst decisions up to us,
Her offspring?
‘’Ready?’’
‘’FORWARD!’’
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Posted by Donncha | August 21, 2023, 7:47 AMMakes me think of Waist Deep in the Big Muddy by Pete Seeger. Well done!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | August 21, 2023, 7:22 PMI don’t know that tune but will find it on youtube. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Posted by Donncha | August 22, 2023, 3:14 PMFinger, Forward, God
A combination quite odd
I wanted to write a haiku
The result was mean and not cool
The mirror exposing the sod
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Posted by Chris Clarke | August 21, 2023, 10:20 AMHa! Love the humor here.
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Posted by JeanMarie | August 21, 2023, 3:41 PMWhat a cryptic final line. Love it!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | August 21, 2023, 7:26 PMMoving Forward
The finger of God unglued itself
from the fresco where it pointed
at first man, obviously a flop,
and got a job as traffic cop
to keep life moving forward.
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Posted by nolchafox | August 21, 2023, 4:17 PMAn excellent choice of vocation. Well done!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | August 21, 2023, 7:27 PMThank you! A tough job, someone has to do it!
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Posted by nolchafox | August 21, 2023, 7:29 PMLOL I love this
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Posted by Jewish Young Professional "JYP" | August 22, 2023, 7:31 AMThank you!
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Posted by nolchafox | August 22, 2023, 8:16 AMLikeLiked by 2 people
Posted by Jewish Young Professional "JYP" | August 22, 2023, 7:30 AMLove those last two lines about the broken world. Great work. Thanks for sharing!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | August 22, 2023, 8:45 PMGlad you enjoyed! Thanks for the feedback and for providing inspiration. This was a good set of words.
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Posted by Jewish Young Professional "JYP" | August 23, 2023, 7:45 PMTHE POTTER AND THE CLAY
I, the clay
loosely scatter
rolling in the rain
look forward to
understanding my purpose
through the potter’s hand
God, the potter
must have dirty fingers
after moulding me
according to
His plan
I don’t know
why he would dirty
His hands
to make me
into something pure
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Posted by Cassa Bassa | August 23, 2023, 5:29 AMAll potters have dirty fingernails. Well done!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | August 23, 2023, 7:31 PM