Solitude is not blue
that’s loneliness
with all its sapphire longing
and deep ocean waves
Solitude is not magenta
that’s abandonment
with a twinge of crimson
anger sputtering into flame
No, solitude is the color
of leaves in the middle of April
new hope draping an old tree
with emeralds emerging from the soil
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 
I really like the second stanza.
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Thanks, Melissa. Glad that one resonated with you.
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Well done!
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Thanks, JM!
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Love this! ❤️
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Many thanks, Linlokfei!
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This is beautiful! And I totally agree. Solitude is neither blue nor magenta, but the colour of leaves, the colour of ‘new hope draping an old tree’. Wow. Love this poem and the power of solitude.
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Thank you so very much, Britta!
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Such a great poem full beautiful imagery.
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Grazie, Luisa. Glad you liked it.
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You are truly welcome ❣️❣️❣️
It was a pleasure
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Well done!
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Thanks! Glad you approve.
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Beautiful, Bart!
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Glad you liked it, Susi!
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:)
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Couldn’t agree with you more. Loneliness is blue, and that color has belonged to Joni Mitchell for decades now.
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Yeah, the rest of us have to make do with azure or sapphire.
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So right on!
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Yay! Glad I hit the spot.
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Magnifique !!
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Merci, Astradie!
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