Best Intentions

Posted on 2020/01/29 by Bartholomew Barker

 

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Best Intentions

Doc says I should eat better,
exercise more. I know.
I know.

He asks if I remember
what we talked about
last time.

I scour my crusted memory
but these exams blur
together like a field of pinwheels
in a lightning storm.

I suppose I could drink
a little less, leave the bar
before my Honda carriage
turns back into a pumpkin
but why would I want to outlive
my doctor?

We have a nice arrangement—
I visit every February,
listen to his lecture,
feign concern at numbers—
some too high, some too low,
shake hands after he’s wiped
away the Vaseline.

See you next year.

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.
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6 Responses to Best Intentions

  2. Lisa Tomey says:
    2020/01/29 at 17:34

    “like a field of pinwheels
    in a lightning storm.” Love! Fun and frank poem 😊

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. writenaked says:
    2020/02/14 at 19:37

    I feel like this is a bridge to MILKSHAKES AND CHILI DOGS PART DEUX.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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