We lay an offering on the alter.
For great-grandfather Whilum,
a trowel encrusted with the earth.
For great-grandma Emma,
a bowl of butterscotch candy.
For grandma Mary,
a feed-sack apron.
For grandpa Boppi,
a dancing harmonica.
For my father Peter,
another flashlight magnetic and powerful.
And for my mom— rye,
sweet vermouth and orange bitters
with a Luxardo cherry.
(Another collaboration with my friends at Charles House after I read some classic Halloween poems for them. Let’s honor our ancestors!)
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 
This is sweet and nostalgic and leaves me with questions about drunk mommy. ha ha. It’s all fiction. Right? Boo
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In this case, it’s an amalgam of all the families of the participants. I won’t disclose whose is whose, employing poetic confidentiality.
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The poem is a tender tribute to ancestors, where each object offered represents their essence and memory. Through these small symbols, family memory is celebrated with affection and gratitude, uniting generations with simplicity and love.
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That’s exactly what we were going for! Gracias, Lincol!
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Those offerings are often left on graves. Having a place to connect with the ancestors….matters.
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Agreed. I wonder if the pen I left at George Mackay Brown’s grave is still there. I hope not.
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This is how we spent today…just posted it on m’blog…. http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=17561
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Nice! Not surprised there were mushrooms near the standing stones.
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Beautiful tributes.
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Thank you, LuAnne.
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Lovely gifts your mother will definitely appreciate the Luxardo cherry – I would!
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Good to know, Ange!
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