Plato’s Cave

Silhouette dances behind the stage
projected onto plush curtains
by sharp spot light

Spirals her hips
spins down the pole
just two dimensions

I am reminded of Plato’s cave
but here three dimensional bodies
are no more real

Projections of masculine desire
exaggerations of feminine beauty
intoxications of romance

I have been to the surface
but the sun was too bright
defeated I returned to shadow


This year marks the tenth anniversary of my first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular. To celebrate I’m posting my favorite poems from the book on Wednesday nights, of course.

Unknown's avatar

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.
This entry was posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to Plato’s Cave

  1. Michele Lee's avatar Michele Lee says:

    Interesting and well-written comparison to Plato’s Cave. 🔥

    Liked by 1 person

  2. The last stanza is a brilliant bridge between the two images!♥️♥️love it

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a reply to Michele Lee Cancel reply