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 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.
Bartholomew Barker, Poet 
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
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I agree with the nuance but took some poetic license there.
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Change starts with a change of heart of one man.
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Let’s hope it’s contagious.
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🙏
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I’m grateful you stand on the best side of the platform.
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Thanks. If only we could attract a few more over here.
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