My Purpose

Posted on 2020/04/13 by Bartholomew Barker

For today’s prompt, write a purpose poem.

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My Purpose

Poets proclaim
their purpose is poetry—
I know better.

We’re all just strands of DNA
trying to spread our spawn,
not much different from a virus.

Love is just chemicals,
naturally selected
that compel us to breed

but I broke that cycle,
revised my instinct
like a flawed metaphor.

My poems are my progeny
but my genes die with me.

 

(Note: that third stanza is pretty much stolen from Rick & Morty.)

 

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 My Purpose

  1. Lisa Tomey says:
    2020/04/13 at 20:39

    “Like a flawed metaphor ” like this.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. JeanMarie says:
    2020/04/13 at 21:30

    There’s a club and I, like you, am a member.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Cassa Bassa says:
    2020/04/13 at 23:01

    I love this one!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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