Men Like Me

Posted on 2020/09/28 by Bartholomew Barker

Men Like Me

I fear for my friends
the ones who are hunted
by men like me— pale
privileged and in power

I fear for my friends
because the wheels of justice
are rusted— corrupted
by men like me

We suffer no consequences
we wink at honest mistakes
at worst some cash gets lost
down at the station or in chambers

Men like me agree the system is broken
and we congratulate ourselves for the breaking

Five weeks until election day. If you’d like this to change, make a plan to vote!

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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7 Responses to Men Like Me

  1. JeanMarie says:
    2020/09/28 at 17:58

    Good poem. Except I disagree with the final couplet. I think the system is working exactly the way it was intended to work – for the betterment of “men like you.”
    But not you specifically because you are a good man. <3

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Cassa Bassa says:
    2020/09/28 at 18:00

    Change starts with a change of heart of one man.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Lisa Tomey says:
    2020/09/30 at 01:35

    I’m grateful you stand on the best side of the platform.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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