30 Poems in 30 Days, December 1,One Day Late

Posted on December 1, 2025 by alicebarrett 
I'm one day late for my deadline,
One day early for my lover's birthday.

Always.

I was one day late asking for that first date,
One day early asking for marriage.
I'm impatient.
She's cautious.

Somehow we make it work.

I'm always late or early or totally forget
The shopping list.
The party's over when we arrive. Or
The party's not yet begun.

Somehow we make it work.

She tells a story from end to beginning.
I bite my tongue and wait,
And the story's good.

Somehow we make it work.

Happy Birthday a Day Early.
Let's stay on the balance board.

..........
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30 Poems: A Prayer to Finish

Posted on November 29, 2025 by alicebarrett

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A Prayer to Finish Thirty Poems in Thirty Days

Neither colds nor flu nor achy tooth
Shall keep me from delivering my poems.
Neither brain dead sleep nor too much wine
Shall keep me from typing out words.

Whether mindless or tactless,
Or nonsensical or brief,
One poem shall emerge
By end of each long autumn day.

Did I fail? Maybe, don't tell.
I still have three days to catch up.
How many poems can I write in three days?
Watch me.

..........................................

The annual “30 Poems in 30 Days” fundraiser for the Center for New Americans has landed. 

Here’s how it works:

I commit to writing one poem each day in November. You sponsor me by donating to the Center for each poem.

Click or copy the link below:

https://cnam.org/civi/pcp/info/?reset=1&id=979

………………………………………………………………………………………

“Poetry – even bad poetry –

may be our final hope.” – E.B. White

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30 Poems in November, A Didactic Poem

Posted on November 21, 2025 by alicebarrett 
Go read some scripture or other
and decide if it's good or evil.

If it's good, memorize it
and ponder it.

If it is evil, memorize it
and ponder it.

Afterwards,
you will be
a better person.


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http://www.cnam.org Follow this link to donate to The Center for New Americans.

Now more than ever.

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30 Poems in November, Feet Flat

Posted on November 19, 2025 by alicebarrett 
Feet know the Earth is flat.
Your mind will not convince them otherwise.
The occasional curb or mountain disturbs the                         flatness, but
feet know the Earth is basically flat.

What use is it for the mind to try to convince them otherwise?
For them the world is basically flat.
They stay alert for the occasional obstacle.
That's all we need.

That is all they need to know.

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Please donate to The Center for New Americans: http://www.cnam.org

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30 Poems in November #? Ecology

Posted on November 16, 2025 by alicebarrett 
The poem pins my soul to this moment
 as my fingers touch plastic keys.
I am linked to the hardware, and through a process I understand less
   than I do karma or electricity or the ecology of a forest floor,
I am linked to you, dear reader.
Let's rejoice.
Or hide.
Posted in nature poetry, Soul Poetry | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

30 Poems in November #10, I need a shaman poem

Posted on November 12, 2025 by alicebarrett 
I need a shaman poem
roaring down 
over my head,
streaming from the clouds,
penetrating my scalp,
washing my brain with
cool clear
water.
Let this poem
lick the salt 
from the wound.
A beginning.

Please donate to The Center for New Americans:

Simply click on this

https://cnam.org/civi/pcp/info/?reset=1&id=979&component=contribute

Or send a check directly to: The Center for New Americans

                                               42 Gothic Street

                                            Northampton, MA 01060

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30 Poems in November #7 Infections

Posted on November 12, 2025 by alicebarrett 
Infections Untreated Spread and Grow Worse

"They're pulling people off the street
    because of their color
    and putting them in jail,
    their families can't find them!"
Say outraged white liberals everywhere.

"Oh really?" say black parents everywhere. "Oh really?"

Posted in Poetry, Political | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

30 Poems in November #6, Flight Cancellations

Posted on November 7, 2025 by alicebarrett 
Flight Cancellations

I wish I was going somewhere.
I feel outraged and I'm not even going anywhere.

Where would I go?

To visit Mairead Corrigan in 1976 and walk with the Peace People again
https://www.peacepeople.com

To pray in church with Dorothy Day in 1980-something in New York again
https://catholicworker.org/dorothy-day

To sit in a hall with Thich Nhat Hanh in France
again
https://plumvillage.org

Maybe fly to some big city supermarket to hand out leaflets
again
https://chavezfoundation.org/about-cesar-chavez/

Too late for all that.
There's no more places I need to go to.
The walking and praying and sitting and leafleting is here.
Cancel my flight.

Please donate to The Center for New Americans:Simply click on this, or copy and paste: 

https://cnam.org/civi/pcp/info/?reset=1&id=979&component=contribute

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30 Poems in November #4, The Last God we had

Posted on November 6, 2025 by alicebarrett 
The last God we had
lived too far out of the district
and didn't write often enough.

He just couldn't stay current.
Did He even listen to the news?
The news certainly wasn't listening to Him.

Let's make the next one up to date;
He's timeless, we're not.
One who's better at making his Presence known.

Someone young people can relate to,
A cool female, maybe who
Changes her hair style every century or so.

It's fine with me if the message is the same,
But update the language.
Please

Please donate to The Center for New Americans: Simply click on this, or copy and paste: 

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30 Poems in November #5, Gas Stop

Posted on November 6, 2025 by alicebarrett 
Gas Stop on the Road to the Promised Land

Fill 'er up, Matthew,
Top 'er off.
The tank is low
and the journey long.

Hope is on "E"
The love oil's low.
The devil's in the White House,
And we've got work to do.

How many rest stops on the Road to Perdition?
I'm just kiddin you, Matt.
We're on our way to the Promised Land
   that no one's been promised.

Got to go mile by mile with
    detours, construction, pile-ups 
     and bad weather.
Don't know what'll be like when we've done,
But it's got to be better than this.

So fill 'er up, Matthew
And we'll continue on our way.
We've got work to do.

Please contribute to The Center for New Americans: Simply click on this, or copy and paste: 

https://cnam.org/civi/pcp/info/?reset=1&id=979&component=contribute

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