The Day Is Done

Posted on 2025-08-04 by Bartholomew Barker

I squint because my pupils
are dark as ripe walnuts
on this midnight mission
to the kitchen
as the harsh light
of the fridge bulb
floods the tile floor.

Rummage past the carrots,
apples and leftover Chinese
which I save for the cold light of day.
I open the freezer looking
for the warmth of butterscotch ripple
and delicate pleasure
ushers me back to bed.

 

This is another collaboration with my pals at Charles House after I read them dessert-themed poetry which was harder than usual to find. I had to supplement with selections from Milkshakes and Chilidogs since the only famous dessert poem I could find was Wallace Stevens‘ The Emperor of Ice-Cream which I’m pretty sure isn’t even about ice cream.

 

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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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17 Responses to The Day Is Done

  1. DD's avatar DD says:
    2025-08-04 at 20:59

    The only good banana is deep fried, its batter soused with sauce and with two ice cream scoops on the side. Too much work at midnight.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. Britta Benson's avatar Britta Benson says:
    2025-08-05 at 04:17

    Midnight missions should definitely always skip past the carrots in the fridge and instead dive straight into the freezer. Honeycomb ice cream, my downfall. Like I care…

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. poetisatinta's avatar poetisatinta says:
    2025-08-05 at 10:34

    Oh I was so with you on that trip to the freezer 🙌😃

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. Franjo Jurko's avatar Franjo Jurko says:
    2025-08-05 at 12:24

    it’s good while you are ushered to bed, not something worse

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Stef's avatar Stefan says:
    2025-08-05 at 20:00

    I loved the imagery in this piece.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2025-08-08 at 09:56

    Does it work for other flavors? Asking for a friend

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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