Passing time heals
but stitches superfluous
when impaled from behind
(for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt. It was more difficult than I thought to write a ten word haiku.)
Watching her
I am reminded
Of my first love
Astronomy
She glides graceful
Across the stage
Until captured
by gravity’s pole
Revolving ’round
Delicately balanced
Familiar phases
Cast in strobe light
Rotating on her axis
She traces deferents
With high heels
Casting epicycles
Her heavenly body
Evokes celestial law
Oh to be the cylinder
At the center of her universe
This year marks the tenth anniversary of my first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular. To celebrate I’m posting my favorite poems from the book on Wednesday nights, of course.
I used to fling bread at ducks
with stubby little boy arms
not yet skilled at throwing
While I liked avian attention
I didn’t want them too close
with their loud harsh quacks
The duck pond in my hometown park
had a little island that wasn’t
but it’s how I learned the words
isthmus and peninsula
Squatting on the shore
heaving bread into water
with my parents on the “mainland”
I felt the twinge of independence
glad they weren’t too close
still wanting them to watch
But anxious about being left behind
(for this week’s Living Poetry Prompt: Park)
I dream of two suns
and four shadows as we waltz
along the canal
(for Betelgeuse, may you explode soon)
Too many stars
in the night sky
I crave the darkness
Too much light
exposing the world
I know enough already
Bring me her unmapped body
Extinguish light
Leave mystery
to be explored
Leave enigma
to be pondered
Leave me
to the whims
of my dark muse
This year marks the tenth anniversary of my first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular. To celebrate I’ll be posting my favorite poems from the book on Wednesday nights, of course. Along with the poems, I’ll be featuring illustrations by Tammy Atkinson of Atkinson Creations.
I am very proud to announce that one of this year’s poems-a-day was just published over at Spillwords. I wrote Caliente on April 4th, just seven weeks ago. It went through a workshop two weeks later and, after minor revisions, I submitted it for publication.
Please head over to Spillwords and click the little red heart button to give her some love.
My thanks to the Spillwords crew for their continued support.
Her texts were once filled with emojis
smiling little faces — red hearts
arrived hourly
Now I’m lucky to get one a day
but I’m building a callous
I’m just the mayfly who forgot
to politely die in the twilight
of her affection
(for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt and Living Poetry’s Monday Prompt)
Still mist drapes the air
blessing butterfly kisses
on my stubbly cheek
Caramel and vanilla
Drape the stale air
Like the cyan dress
Falling from her body
She soothes me with
Kind attention
Smiling words
Feminine touch
My eyes follow hips
Swaying to music
Up the concavity
To her teacup breasts
She dances barefoot
Leaning against me
Like a pale cello
Between my legs
This year marks the tenth anniversary of my first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular. To celebrate I’m posting my favorite poems from the book on Wednesday nights, of course.
I’m proud to announce that a new poem of mine, Mathias, has been published in the Lothlorien Poetry Journal. It’s a sonnet about a girl and her horse. I hope you’ll give it a read.
My gratitude to Strider Marcus Jones for accepting this work and choosing the above art to accompany it.
Bartholomew Barker, Poet 