Fraiku: Winter Walk

Posted on 2022/01/21 by Bartholomew Barker

Frozen footfalls crunch
Bundled like an astronaut
Ignored by the sun

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Two Anthologies

Posted on 2022/01/17 by Bartholomew Barker

This past week saw two new anthologies appear in my mailbox.

The first to arrive was the latest from Vita Brevis Press, Nothing Divine Dies— The Poetry of Nature. The editor, Brian Geiger, was gracious enough to include one of my poems, Mulberries of the Piedmont.

A day later, Core, the third volume of Dance Poems from Johnny M. Tucker, Jr. appeared. He agreed to reprint Butterflies of the Amazon, a poem first published in my collection, Wednesday Night Regular. He also included two others from WNR in his second volume, Allegro & Adagio.

I’ve been enjoying both anthologies and am proud to be included in each.

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Fraiku: Addiction

Posted on 2022/01/14 by Bartholomew Barker

Shoulders sigh with contentment
as dark elixir
cools my anxious throat

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A 21st Century Howl

Posted on 2022/01/12 by Bartholomew Barker

A 21st Century Howl

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by…”
~ opening line of Howl by Allen Ginsberg

What sphinx of algorithms and data bashed open their skulls?
Moloch! Facebook! Moloch! Twitter! Moloch!
Moloch who promised an egalitarian utopia!

Moloch who makes our friends! Moloch who gives us followers!
Moloch who demands likes and shares!
Moloch who whispers FOMO!

Moloch whose eyes are cellphone cameras! Moloch whose ears are smart speakers!
Moloch whose blood is intimate information!
Moloch whose heart is advertising!

Moloch the deceiver! Moloch the marketer of outrage!
Moloch who prods lambs to electric anger!
Moloch who herds sheep to capitol riot!

We’re tracked by Moloch! We’re tagged by Moloch!
We’re fed into a cold database by Moloch!
We’re shredded to statistics by Moloch!

We gave Moloch our rapt attention! We gave Moloch our waking lives!
We broke our backs lifting Moloch to Heaven!
Time to let go.

Continue reading →
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A Sensuous Life on Drabble!

Posted on 2022/01/10 by Bartholomew Barker

Yesterday, The Drabble posted a poem of mine called A Sensuous Life. I love the image they picked for it!

If you don’t follow their postings, I strongly encourage you to. They only post “drabbles” or poems/prose that are less than one hundred words long.

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Fraiku: January Tree

Posted on 2022/01/07 by Bartholomew Barker

Bare branches shiver
under winter stars
like a hand without a glove

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A Good Winter Night

Posted on 2022/01/05 by Bartholomew Barker

A Good Winter Night

Unlike the impatient dawn
which erupts upon the world
like a chocolate covered cherry

Sunset eases graceful silent
and welcoming as an old book
by a fireplace in winter

Sink into this well-worn couch
put your feet in my lap
let me read you goodnight

(Written for two prompts: Goodnight and National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day.)

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Fraiku: Year End Review

Posted on 2021/12/31 by Bartholomew Barker

I hate “best of” lists
Especially when they’re by year
Look ahead instead

Happy New Year, dear readers!

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New Year’s Resolution

Posted on 2021/12/27 by Bartholomew Barker

New Year’s Resolution

Pull the pots and pan from the cabinet
bring the old cowbell down from the attic
find that vuvuzela you bought in 2010
and exercise your lip

The new year’s nearly here

Let’s make some noise tonight
so those lurking demons run in fear
Let’s make such a din
the coronavirus evolves an ear

(For a couple of anticipatory prompts: Din & Celebrate.)

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Fraiku: Christmas Eve

Posted on 2021/12/24 by Bartholomew Barker

In still winter air
pinprick stars on strings dangle
the dome of heaven

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