if they get away with murder
the city will ultimately burn down
the hunger striker lives in a bubble
broadcasted from the city center for all to see
like an eagle cam recording the brood
legal betting stands to make billions
regardless the duration
or the eventual outcome
of the extended televised reality
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the air became thinner than usual
as if it was ghosting right through me
last night a series of explosions
ripped through the city like a cat 5 tornado
for whatever reason I lost my sense of smell
back when we were crawling on highway 13
I’m reminded of the latest prophecy
that anything gas-powered will no longer work
come sunrise there was nothing but big sky
far from a metropolis that may or may not exist
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
look she said
followed by a bunch more words
I couldn’t tell you to this day
what they were
I was traveling way back at the time
back when I wore a batman
or superman cape
curious in otherworldly things
yet imperfectly insular
having returning to the streets
of san bernardino
I agree with her notions unwittingly
she rolls her eyes
giving me this one-of-a-kind smile
saying next time you better
take me with you
you know I’ve always wanted to go
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
c’mon man
let’s hit the streets
& see what kind of action
awaits us
now that the clocks
are ticking differently
we can change things up
and become someone
we are not
by day or by night
what lights up the sky
is one in the same
running or hiding on any
given hour
loving to be chased
dying to be shot at
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I keep saying to myself
there are too many people living
[and dying] on this planet
and if recently played out events
are any indication
I say I may be onto something
for some reason I keep thinking
about the word ‘sustainable’
exactly what it’s supposed to mean
to the likes of people like me
doing their damnedest
just to survive
you were supposed to meet me
at the starlight at 5 pm
but now it’s going on seven
and I’m nursing my final final
working up the strength
to start walking back home
february two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there’s been talk of re-education camps
for children of certain parents
thinking maybe just maybe
the countryside might be saved
for what’s happening inside the city
will take decades to decipher
and those trapped inside
will forever be beholden to the sun
some ways out are costlier than others
such as escapee versus recruit
the former barreling past borders
the latter anything but in a hurry
january two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the lights descended on a
make-believe kathmandu
and suddenly the world took notice
just how populous
such a little place could be
but it was a mere deflection
those brilliant lights
meant only to deceive
some claiming was recently bottled
from a heavenly conjunction
the flashing was blinding
but there’s nothing left to see
and whoever managed
to elude the first sweep
can likely be found
sleepwalking the streets
in make-believe bangladesh
january two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we heard the coffee shop in new bohemia
had some local beers on tap
so we went in to check it out
it was a damp morning
going on noon I suppose
and when we walked through the door
heads looked up
and eyes rolled
we shrugged our shoulders
and walked past the cashier
took a seat at the far end of the counter
this used to be a dog grooming place
and then a tavern I explained
and she nodded her head while reading
the menu on the chalkboard
the help never looked our way
and at one point
a busboy washed some cups & saucers
right in front of us
I imagined it would just be a matter of time
before someone approached us
to ask “what will it be”
we looked at each other
and then at the cashier
at each other
and then the cashier
meanwhile one customer after the next
approached the cashier
placed an order and made payment
behind our backs was a glass door
with a well lit exit sign above it
after six or seven minutes ticked by
we shrugged our shoulders
and haphazardly snuck out the back door
december two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
here we are vulnerable to the masses
as much as we are vulnerable to ourselves
hitting the streets by any means of conveyance
now just as dangerous as staying put
doors locked & curtains drawn
so much of what’s out there has become
unrecognizable emotion
passions transformed into rage
the latter on the loose throughout the streets
what is to become of all this insanity
and where do we possibly go from here
december two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there was one distraction after the next
but somehow progress was being made
custodians sweeping up a huge mess
left behind by the reluctant loser
one by one the followers dropped off
by way of a single lane bridge
herded away like cattle or sheep
counting their blessings along the way
having discovered another side exists
more & more city folk pack their bags
looking to join the blossoming pilgrimage
back to the land of grass-fed cows
december two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
On the southside of Gianna’s Italian Beef
there grows a young Hackberry
a story & a half tall
barenaked this early December
fifty or eighty Black-Capped Chickadees
voluntarily filling in
all her empty spaces
fervently chattering at four forty-five pm
december two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I step out the front door
it used to always be unlocked
during normal business hours
I check my pockets for keys
let the damn thing
swing shut behind me
there are far fewer cars
pedestrians & pigeons
vying for my attention
equating to less noise
and more sounds
block in & block out
from point A
it’s just a few more blocks
to the river
does anyone not notice
how it ebbs & flows
depending upon the mood
of all the invisible people
december two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
as old stories unravel
new possibilities begin
artfully rewriting your own
character
right there in the streets
of portland oregon
some catch on early
seeing right through the fabric
of santa & the great pumpkin
of organized religion
or the deep state itself
[while far too many others
fall for the latest mousetrap]
it stands to reason
one mistruth leads to another
but at some point
all good things must come to an end
imagine now
everything you ever imagined
never belonged to you
december two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is no test tonight only theory
a flashing picture show
beaming from your eyes onto the white wall
an abandoned starling adolescent
gathering himself on the window ledge
you spend a moment trying to read his mind
you blink and suddenly he’s gone once & for all
the color of your eyes change from blue to green
from your vantage point all you see
is what’s behind the ledge
something blue & something brown
you untangle yourself & rise to your feet
what you expect is no different from yesterday
the same day you gave out dollar bills
one after another to complete strangers
emotionless & robotic you carried on
everyone around you gracious & concerned
some of them calling you the chosen one
november two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
beastie boys in moscow
everything’s
in black & white
an effort by the locals
to disguise the day & year
by keeping their kettle clean
there are no subtitles
translations or misunderstandings
the nights are always grey
and lights dimly bright
the music barely loud enough
to keep the youth at bay
november two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
And so I have passed on
without fanfare
and I was thinking to myself
the best days of my life
It was Mother’s Day
when I arrived to Athens
my adopted Motherland
learning the streets
by way of feet for eleven days
convincing myself before I go
this is where I’ll always be
october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 