Upon Re-election

Upon Re-election

The Emperor strode on stage,
“I declare this is the classiest suit
I’ve ever worn. More comfortable
and tremendous and I made it myself!”

Grateful reporters saluted
and his devotees cheered.
Serious pundits on television debated
both sides of his magnificence.

Hospitals filled with flu.
Streets filled with families
begging coins of the realm.

Poets and children laughed at his length
which his supporters refused to see
yet asserted that it was huge.


(Happy Labor Day! Expect even more political poems through Election Day. Don’t forget to register to vote and double-check your voter registration at the 2020 Voters Calendar.)

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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 Upon Re-election

  1. Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld's avatar Lisa Tomey says:

    Spoken well.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Susi Bocks's avatar Susi Bocks says:

    Hmmm, sounds like another pompous ass we all know! Good one, Bartholomew!

    Liked by 1 person

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