Lament of the Law-Abiding

Posted on 2019-04-25 by Bartholomew Barker

For today’s prompt, write an exile poem. Exile is a noun, a verb, and an American rock band from Richmond, Kentucky. A person, animal, or object can be exiled. But people and animals also exile others–or even exile themselves.

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Lament of the Law-Abiding

I see my neighbors on the news.
They’re happy and ready to deport
anyone whose complexion is darker
than their sickly pale skin.

I’m all for reducing the ranks
of true Americans but I’d send
anyone who ends a sentence
with a preposition into exile.

Load them on buses and boats,
all those who can’t distinguish
their from they’re from there
or your from you’re.

But I’m well outnumbered,
last defender of a dying regime,
obeying the rules of grammar
in a lawless land.

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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.
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5 Responses to Lament of the Law-Abiding

  1. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2019-04-25 at 22:56

    The Grammar Police need Deputies! The rules about prepositions at the end of sentences has relaxed quite a bit, but the rest of it, I’m right there with you. Thanks for the laugh on this one.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld's avatar Lisa Tomey says:
    2019-04-26 at 09:36

    One of my jobs is to listen to people talk to customers, posing as the customer. Do you want me to grammar police them? I’m jus’ “axin'”…

    Liked by 1 person

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