Guernica

Posted on 2020-05-19 by Bartholomew Barker

This evening I attended a NCWN online workshop on ekphrastic poetry, lead by Maureen Sherbondy. She offered several famous paintings as prompts and one of them was Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. I’ve been thinking about the Spanish Civil War a lot recently, so I let it inspire me. (For audio enhancement, may I suggest listening to the second movement of Joaquín Rodrigo‘s Concierto de Aranjuez?)

Guernica-canvas-Pablo-Picasso-Madrid-Museo-Nacional-1937

Guernica

Acrid air burns pustules
at the back of my throat.

Long ago I broke my sword,
pounded it to a plow.

Chose a life of fruitful
labor instead of war.

Why do those who cling
to the past insist

with their bullets
that none may progress?

Why does war come looking
for innocence?

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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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11 Responses to Guernica

  1. Cassa Bassa's avatar Cassa Bassa says:
    2020-05-19 at 23:16

    Love the poem, and the music comes as a quiet stream in a desolate land.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld's avatar Lisa Tomey says:
    2020-05-20 at 00:28

    Why indeed… Penned with an important message.

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Eugi's avatar -Eugenia says:
    2020-05-23 at 09:36

    A powerful message!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. carolyncordon's avatar carolyncordon says:
    2020-05-30 at 22:49

    A fine poem and the audio accompaniment is perfect, picking out the sounds, as your poem picks out the reader’s thoughts. The question asked could lead to many more poems, but in the meantime, I will think on the power of your poem.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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