Birds outside my window appear extra juicy
but I know they’re just fluffing their feathers
to fight the inevitable.
Moriarty leaves passive aggressive notes
for me in my bed or shoes if I don’t let him outside
despite a wind chill below zero.
Snow is more beautiful in the moonlight
even with a trail of paw prints interrupting
an ancient topology.
It’s winter and the truth is as bare as the branches.
(For Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt and Living Poetry’s Monday Prompt.)
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 
Is Moriarty the cat? I really enjoyed the storytelling here. It took me a second read to find the prompt words because they were blended so seamlessly into the poem.
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While that’s a stock image, Moriarty is an old tom cat who’s been my roommate for some years now.
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This is clever and I like thinking the cat was Moriarty in the picture!
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Thanks! The cat in the photo is obviously a model with none of Moriarty’s character.
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magnificent !!! you’ve encapsulated a raw truth here . and that terrific last line …..
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Thanks, John! Glad you liked the closer.
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I like what you’re doing; and I like the concept of prompt so I’m subscribing to Sammi now and giving it a go :)
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Thanks! I frequently need to combine two prompts to get something interesting. Sammi provides a good foundation.
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okay, I will keep that in mind if the first prompt doesn’t engage —
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Beautiful poem! Good description of the surrounding with birds! 🙄
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Thank you, Priti! Glad you enjoyed it.
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🙏☺️
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Ooooh! Biting truth for the biting cold. Love that last line!. : )
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Thank you, Stacey! So glad you caught that.
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