The End of Everything

Posted on 2021-01-29 by Bartholomew Barker

Last night I attended another Science Tonight put on by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. This is the first one I’ve attended since the pandemic so it was virtual, of course. The talk was given by Dr. Katie Mack, based on her book The End of Everything Astrophysically Speaking. At the end of the talk, my fellow Living Poets and I read some poems we wrote during the presentation. It’s all on YouTube. The poetry starts at 59 minutes but I strongly encourage viewing the whole show so our poetic references land.

Here’s the full text of my poem, for those who’d rather read than watch & listen.

Telescopes are Time Machines

You and I—
we know the math.
This is all going to end—
some day.

Our sun will nova,
our planet disintegrates,
the stars will run away from us
and slowly blink out.

Or maybe some petulant dark god
rips the universe apart
or flips a field
and we all collapse.

But lying here with you,
in the afterglow of the big bang,
underneath a star speckled sky
in the expanding dark—

but not made of dark matter—
so we can hold each other—
stave off the decay
if only for a moment.

Right now, right here,
with you in my arms—
I can believe
the sky’s the limit.

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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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10 Responses to The End of Everything

  2. Cassa Bassa's avatar Cassa Bassa says:
    2021-01-29 at 21:12

    I love the poem very much!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2021-01-29 at 22:14

    I’m impressed. Writing on demand is tough, especially with such a vast subject. You really shine on this one. I’ll have to come back to check out the link .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2021-01-30 at 01:22

    I just watched a chunk of Dr. Mack’s talk. She was very engaging. It’s so great to have women in the sciences. All the poems were great. It was clear that Dr. Mack really liked them as well. Well done everyone.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Artist/Poet_JayMoraShihadeh's avatar Artist/Poet_JayMoraShihadeh says:
    2021-01-30 at 14:45

    Great one ☝🏼👏🏻

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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