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, 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 
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.
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Posted by crazy4yarn2 | January 19, 2026, 12:42 PMI’m a sucker for a used book store too. Thanks for sharing, Nolcha!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | January 19, 2026, 8:07 PMHere’s mine :
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Posted by Maggie | January 19, 2026, 7:24 PMNice use of the prompt. Thanks for sharing, Maggie!
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | January 19, 2026, 8:12 PMHappy you liked it 😊
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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/
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Posted by Bartholomew Barker | January 19, 2026, 8:57 PM