I’ve been working on my breathing
—or more specifically
depriving my body of oxygen
now & then throughout
the course of the day
something I’ve determined
should give me a competitive edge
in the long run
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sometimes the rules change
without your knowledge
and the next thing you know
you’re living a similar life
inside an alternative universe
as time progresses unchecked
you arrive at the realization
that what occurred in the past
has no relevance here
in this place without any rules
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I walk alone
wirelessly
bone conduction
headphones
blaring angst
—like an american idiot
with nothing left
to ignore
but his very self
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
venetian blinds
only slightly open
like little squinty eyes
keeping sights & sounds
in & out of focus
letting in a little daylight
or a little nightlife
depending upon one’s
changing perspective
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
A late summer night
small upstairs bedroom
green-eyed boy equipped
with flashlight
comic books
& transistor radio
hopping from one world
to the next
sublimely time traveling
by way of frequencies
of an alien kind
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I wanted to say I saw it
coming but didn’t want
to be called a liar
but the fact is
it’s all academic
considering I’m not
sitting next to anyone
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
in the valley
rare earth elements
remain untouched
—sacrificial lambs
like a flock of ghosts
roaming the countryside
shepherdless
& blindly
sidestepping
the next catastrophe
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
why he was on the precipice
to begin with
was anyone’s best guess
but given the current state of affairs
chances are nobody
would likely blame him
—but the outcome
now that’s another story
but most of vegas kept finding itself
playing the pass line
believing lady luck
was about to be resurrected
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
at midday
five sat at the table for six
and ate their meal
in silence
outside the wind
threw damp maple leaves
against the window
—a dreary yet somewhat
rhythmical rattling sound
in the galley kitchen
the help cried silently
forced to accept
the loss of their beloved
captain madam
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the uncertainty
& the mysterious
that never knowing
what might happen next
almost always superseding
outplaying the mundane
and the everyday routine
—how can you possibly
have one without the other
—and why does the former
almost always make you
what you are
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
For whatever reason
they shot the messenger
[yet again]
this time his dying words
proclaiming
he wasn’t the real deal
but merely a patsy
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
whatever identity
I may have had
has been stripped clean
by forces of my own witting
and I find myself
attempting to reinvent
the man I was meant to be
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
from sunrise to sunset
the room accepts constant change
mostly affected by light
or lack thereof
by clouds & wind
& an occasional regret
at times full of shadows
altering the overall mood
—or the aura if you will
thoughts left unspoken
accepting any sort
of sounds
but mainly faint
noises from the outside
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
what’s lost in translation
is the simple definition
of unconditional love
how it can never die
—at times with barely a heartbeat
can never be destroyed
not even in the face
of the fiercest conflagration
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
where did they go
those cunning demons disguised
as the sweetest little birds
softly waking you
from an early morning
midsummer dream
as if to say everything
will work itself out just fine
as long as you trust
in their ways
february two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the moon
was born hollow
as empty as the thoughts
of a dead man
there’s a reason
unknown to humans
why it does not spin
on its axis
but on the inside
an alien race
is hard at work
getting it back on track
february two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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