This week let’s write a poem with the words service, son and today in it. This is another of those prompts where I somewhat 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.
Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, where he has hosted monthly workshops 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 the Pushcart Prize in 2021, 2024 & 2025 as well as the Best of the Net Anthology in 2024. His work has appeared in The Lake, Autumn Sky Poetry Daily, Panoply, Tipton Poetry Journal, the Gyroscope Review and the Naugatuck River Review among others.
Living Poetry 
Used
I don’t care if people stare
at the used clothes that I wear.
I am from another time.
I was a student, mother, wife.
I did the things that I was told.
I’m not of service anymore.
Son, thank you for your steady arm.
I’m going to the used book store.
Today, I’ll travel in my mind,
turning pages, undisturbed.
You can join me if you want.
I’ll turn on the coffee pot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by crazy4yarn2 | January 19, 2026, 12:42 PMI’m a sucker for a used book store too. Thanks for sharing, Nolcha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | January 19, 2026, 8:07 PMFor me, it’s bookstores and hardware stores. You’re welcome, and thank you for the prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by crazy4yarn2 | January 20, 2026, 9:38 AMHere’s mine :
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Maggie | January 19, 2026, 7:24 PMNice use of the prompt. Thanks for sharing, Maggie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | January 19, 2026, 8:12 PMHappy you liked it 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Maggie | January 19, 2026, 8:14 PMHere’s what I wrote today:
https://bartbarkerpoet.com/2026/01/19/our-lives-begin-to-end-the-day-we-become-silent-about-things-that-matter/
LikeLike
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | January 19, 2026, 8:57 PMThanks for the prompt 😀 https://poetisatinta.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/high-tea/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by poetisatinta | January 20, 2026, 12:04 PMThat’s a fun poem with delicious imagery. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | January 20, 2026, 7:04 PM🩷
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by poetisatinta | January 20, 2026, 9:09 PM.
Haiku – (service – son – today)
In constant service
A Son of God glowed brightly
Today, evermore . . .
.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by brightstardancing | February 8, 2026, 10:02 AMNicely done. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posted by Bartholomew Barker | February 8, 2026, 11:57 AM