there is strength in numbers
and now I find myself alone
the mighty empire having fallen
giving rise to newborn stars
cast away by a foreign power
I’ve become a messenger
returning to the very beginning
bringing with me the good news
july two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I left the house for the ocean
a hammer holstered to my belt
my pockets full of nails
up and down the shoreline
I collected & stacked
driftwood into various columns
the sun would bake them dry
while the moon marveled
how my dream became reality
july two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
within your water
within your very air
the god gene embedded
deep in your DNA
there is good reason
why you feel so comfortable
inside your own skin
—on occasion
an even greater feeling
experiencing
separation
july two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
evolution speeding
well beyond the information age
ghosting guns & intelligence
physically & artificially
unleashing imaginations
from century-old masters
ideas created from the cradle
coming back full circle
july two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
thousands of flights
and millions of passengers
crisscrossing through the skies
I’m at rest atop a tropical tree
encased in low lying clouds
counting blue planes passing by
july two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
The Energy of the pyramids
beckons the next pilgrimage
whether a week from tomorrow
or four thousand years ago
Some say the Architects
were otherworldly over-achievers
trading road maps for free rides
and fishing the River Nile
july two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
flower within flower
reaching skyward
filament supporting stamen
supporting nourishment
the whole world invited to partake
enjoying their fair share
void of intimidation
a kind of harmony that shouldn’t ever
be taken for granted
june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
The closest I could describe it
[which I’ve never seen or felt]
would be that of a magic carpet ride
—an invisible one at that
navigating far from the ground
out of the city & over the fields
veering & twisting & accelerating
passing through unbelievable clouds
commandeered by the all-powerful
and me the copilot
june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
A world of light
of dreams & strange intimacy
where music floats
and voices eventually follow
where pain & sorrow fade into the past
and joy is ever new
may two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserve
a tightness of the chest
should be an alarm
unable to be turned off
no matter what you do
how do you ignore the pain
does it visit you in your dreams
taking the lead in reverse
memories crystal clear
—but in black & white
may two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserve
the spacewoman arrived
unannounced
right in broad daylight
lowering her hovercraft
onto the open field
where she proceeded
to kill the fatted calf
[soon thereafter]
feeding all of the inhabitants
until they had their fill
from as far away
as the eye could see
april two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
let’s see
how easily it is
to honestly deceive
in this world of make-believe
convincing yourself
the only truth
worth its weight
resides inside
a frame of mind
that may or may not
be eternal
whilst any & all things
orbiting around it
is simply an extension
of grander possibilities
april two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the rhythm of the day varies
as does the week
month & year
there is no status quo
only forward motion
often directionless
— the trick is finding
the one ride
guaranteed
to blow your mind
march two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I don’t know much about global modernism
it seems to me like most of us are subsisting
day by day in many different worlds
anywhere on the planet you’ll find societies
living before & during & after biblical times
some hidden deep inside rain forests
others digging for safety below the surface
or propelling themselves out into outer space
march two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I mean not to brag
but I’ve buried my past
like seeds of destruction
ashes gathered & scattered
over time germinating
mere inches below the surface
a little girl in the garden
[creating new worlds]
pours pretend water from a red pail
& I find myself mingling
w/the roots of the perennials
mere inches below her feet
march two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
aiming his colt forty-five
directly down her neck
[perpendicular to the front of the skull]
the cowboy shot his horse dead
the muscles throughout his body
contracting just like hers
lasting less than 30 seconds
—as if choreographed
the two of them collapsed to the dirt
she as silent as the night
he sobbing uncontrollably
nothing but a shadow of his former self
february two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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