my memory fails me
only when some third party
steps in & says that’s not
how it went down
while that may be the case
my version most likely
plays out much better
for everyone involved
may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I lie in darkness
but not silence
paying attention to
my breathing
barely existing
like desert sand
at some point
I will open my eyes
and wonder
where I may be
soaring high
above the clouds
or diving deep
into an endless sea
may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
all that lotion
thick with lavender
rubbed into your skin
all the cool slide of sunblock
& herbaceous cannabis balm
anything sweetly soothing
—what good does it do
if the glow goes unseen
and you’re the only one
who seems to notice
may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’m usually not a fan
but I got vodka
tomato & veggie juices
tabasco & celery
one real lime
worcestershire sauce
and this wicked horseradish
—and so I thought
why the heck not
may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
armed conflict
is for the weak & narrow
a clear indication
a good night’s sleep
requires little more
than peace of mind
may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
There’s too much activity
too much energy
and too little space
How many bodies
can you put in a capsule
and expect everyone
to come out alive—
on the other side
may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
eyes laser-focused
on the knuckle curve
crossing the outside lower half
home plate umpire more than emphatic
his fists doing the one-two jab
taking the batter out without
ever knowing what hit him
may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
And so I showed up
to the halloween party
just before midnight
wearing nothing but
a black tuxedo
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
rest does not come easy
when a saboteur of dreams
aka enemy of the state
infiltrates the perimeter
at the strike of midnight
a master of arrangement
altering sequence of events
turning reveries into flashbacks
and daybreak into heartache
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we were supposed to be
in california
somewhere due north
of san pablo bay
but somehow wound up
in scottsdale arizona
where it didn’t take long to notice
the dust never settles
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
hand in hand
the pair went up the hill
not to fetch a pail of water
but to lie on their backs
among the wildflowers
spotting & pointing at
anomalous phenomena
flying ambiguously
in & out of cumulus clouds
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
bread toasting
teapot on stovetop
old transistor radio
playing a little dylan
they sit across
from one another
each waiting for the other
to break their silence
without bob singing
blowin’ in the wind
stillness would reign
until the toast pops up
and teapot whistles
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the heart & mind
working together bending time
—something artificial intelligence
can’t possibly articulate
on how love never dies
but simply segues
into an alternative reality
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the energy transfers
from one entity
to the next
in a circuitry that has
neither beginning
nor end
my confidant
is an electric ghost
coming & going
all at once
like an inconstant
time traveler
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I bought the gold plated Colibri
in the Old Capitol Mall
in Iowa City when I was junior
back in eighty-three
It set me back a couple
of week’s wages
—notwithstanding inflation
Now over forty years later
the little gem is missing
& I’ve got my usual suspects—
they know who they are
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I picked up all my things
from the earth & air
wrapped them
inside a blanket
using a broomstick
to lift the bundle
off the ground
& over my shoulder
just like a bonafide hobo
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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