Morning Walk through the Woods

Posted on 2025-04-03 by Bartholomew Barker

Above in contentious debate,
I hear a murder of crows
arguing avian aesthetics
with guttural croaks and clacks.

As they burst from the treetops,
I detect panic in their shrieking
and assume they sensed my presence.

With a smug smirk I continue
until a little later, some distance
away, the same cacophony erupts,
snuffing my reverie.

Then the wind shakes the dew
from the leaves so it can feel
what it’s like to rain.

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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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12 Responses to Morning Walk through the Woods

  1. Cheryl Batavia's avatar Cheryl Batavia says:
    2025-04-03 at 21:18

    Love both the photo and the poem, Bart! 💙

    Liked by 2 people

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  2. Michele Lee's avatar Michele Lee says:
    2025-04-03 at 23:11

    Vivid sounds throughout and the ending is stunning with thought-provoking personification. 🌦️

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. Susi Bocks's avatar Susi Bocks says:
    2025-04-15 at 15:51

    They must like you, they’re following you. :) And get this, I’m doing a house sit where I have to feed the crows the homeowner has befriended. What a timely piece! ;)

    Liked by 1 person

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