Fraiku: Phillis Wheatley

Posted on 2024-02-23 by Bartholomew Barker

Then fate drew
the sable curtain of night
on your meteoric life

For Black History Month, a haiku to honor Phillis Wheatley, 1753-1784, the first African-American to publish a book of poetry. I stole the middle line from her lovely poem, A Hymn to the Evening.

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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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14 Responses to Fraiku: Phillis Wheatley

  1. ivor20's avatar ivor20 says:
    2024-02-23 at 18:51

    Noteworthy my friend

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2024-02-23 at 22:53

    Nice.

    Thanks for the link to her wirk. Old fashioned nut lovely

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. DD's avatar Deedee (DD) says:
    2024-02-24 at 01:18

    Nicely done too.

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Bianca Alina's avatar Bianca Alina says:
    2024-02-24 at 19:51

    Beautifully written!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Cheryl Batavia's avatar Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet says:
    2024-02-24 at 19:57

    Perfect for Black History Month! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Cheryl Batavia's avatar Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet says:
    2024-02-24 at 20:24

    I learned a lot of Black History from teaching in DC.

    Liked by 1 person

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