What’s In Your Go-Bag?

Posted on 2022-04-12 by Bartholomew Barker

For today’s prompt (the second Two-for-Tuesday prompt of the month), write a counting poem and/or not counting poem.

What’s In Your Go-Bag?

When a tornado drops from the sky
or wildfires breach the fence
or Fascists march door-to-door
looking for Jews, queers and atheists,
it’s time to grab the bag
by the door and escape.

Mine contains a passport,
two pairs of socks,
three of underwear,
four blue ink pens,
five notebooks,
six scented candles,
seven reference books,
eight bottles of wine
and the largest
and most important—
the promise to remain
who I am.

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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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17 Responses to What’s In Your Go-Bag?

  1. r.Douglas's avatar r.Douglas says:
    2022-04-12 at 20:50

    Bingo…and that’s what this exercise, in the cruelest of months, is all about. ALL CAPS KUDOS.

    Liked by 2 people

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  2. yourplateormine967244485's avatar yourplateormine967244485 says:
    2022-04-12 at 20:50

    I like this, well done 👍 I was pulled in from the title and carried through from each line after!

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Bill's avatar Bill says:
    2022-04-12 at 21:00

    The tornado warning has passed. Maybe it sucked up the fascists. :-)

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. trE's avatar trE says:
    2022-04-12 at 22:03

    And there it is!

    “and the largest
    and most important—
    the promise to remain
    who I am.”

    Yes! I love this, Bart! Very nice.

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. pensivepoetblog's avatar pensivepoetblog says:
    2022-04-12 at 23:16

    I only had go bags when I was pregnant or had to go to the hospital for some other reason.

    I love that first stanza. You forgot Gypsies though or Romani/Roma. Maybe some others. Don’t need all, some works. Like the list. It’s very specific. Bordering on OCD. I enjoyed that.

    On Tue, Apr 12, 2022 at 5:09 PM Bartholomew Barker, Poet wrote:

    > Bartholomew Barker posted: ” For today’s prompt (the second > Two-for-Tuesday prompt of the month), write a counting poem and/or not > counting poem. What’s In Your Go-Bag? When a tornado drops from the skyor > wildfires breach the fenceor Fascists march door-to-doorlooking for ” >

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2022-04-13 at 01:18

    You left out “10 Swiss Rolls”

    Well done

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. ivor20's avatar ivor20 says:
    2022-04-18 at 23:35

    All the essentials Bart … and I smiled at your wity poem Bart ..

    Liked by 1 person

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