The Ideal Muse

Posted on 2021/02/04 by Bartholomew Barker

The Ideal Muse

I love you so I’ve kept you away

My adoration is pure
unadulterated by the banal
I don’t know the sound of your sighs
the smell of your sweat
or if you smack your lips while eating

For years I’ve watched you dance—
your motion joyful and serpentine
once you stood next to me
I didn’t dare speak
for fear you would reply

And now you’re leaving
our common friends and city
moving too far away
for me to observe
from afar

I’m glad— I’ll leave
you on this pedestal
too high to reach
like some cold constellation
or the porcelain moon—

the slightest touch of your hand
would crush me

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. 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 makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.
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8 Responses to The Ideal Muse

  1. Cassa Bassa says:
    2021/02/04 at 20:20

    I love how the last 2 stanzas refelct the power of the muse and the fragility of your resistance.
    “I’m glad— I’ll leave
    you on this pedestal
    too high to reach
    like some cold constellation
    or the porcelain moon—

    the slightest touch of your hand
    would crush me”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. House of Heart says:
    2021/02/04 at 20:27

    This is lovely!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Lisa Tomey says:
    2021/02/04 at 23:14

    This is a dance with the muse at a safe distance. Otherwise the porcelain might crack. Lovely work and I’m surprised it’s not accepted.

    Liked by 1 person

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