Dancing with the Stars

Posted on 2024-04-28 by Bartholomew Barker

“You need chaos in your soul
to give birth to a dancing star”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I’ve seen stars dance
in my telescope—
a slow sensual clutch
around their barycenter,
bound by attraction.

I am exaggerating like a poet.
They are not holding hands,
not having hands, no arms
around a waist or neck,
not having arms or waists or necks.

They’re not even moving
at least as far as my eyes
can see but I’m merely human,
a vague chaotic flicker
in a vast and ancient universe.

(Earlier today, I took part in a Living Poetry Germination Workshop, where we wrote to a series of prompts. I was only able to participate for 45 minutes but I still got four poems started and this was one of them. The prompt was the Nietzsche quote that I used as the epigram. We’re doing most of our meetings on Zoom these days and poets of all levels are welcome to join us for review workshops, open mics and various other poetry events.)

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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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16 Responses to Dancing with the Stars

  1. ivor20's avatar ivor20 says:
    2024-04-28 at 21:08

    Stars are our stairway’s convoys.
    The universe’s unarmed envoys

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. Annabel's avatar Annabel says:
    2024-04-29 at 01:11

    Gorgeously penned! Many thought-invoking lines….

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. berniebell1955's avatar berniebell1955 says:
    2024-04-29 at 04:07

    They might not ‘dance’ with each other – but they do influence each other…

    https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/07/27/greening-other-planets-or-not/

    ..as we do. 

    I believe that there is a connection – do you experience ‘Moony’ days & nights? I do. I and I’m not referring to the obvious!

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. Cassa Bassa's avatar Cassa Bassa says:
    2024-04-29 at 15:36

    Ha the conflict of the poet and the scientist.

    Liked by 1 person

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