atop the stone wall
the handsome young man
sat perfectly still
his bow and arrow
resting on his lap
his tireless eyes envisioning
his one true love
emerging from within
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you used the serrated knife
to cut thick slices from the loaf
throwing them on old china plates
about the size of your hands
on the last plate you poured
what was left of the virgin olive oil
and commanded everyone
to break bread and breathe again
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the orphan child grew
into a selfless man
always helping others
despite the failure
to ever comprehend
his own abandonment
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
i applied for fortune
but none was granted
and i alone sought justice
for this slight
traveling the earth
i refocused my energies
seeking wisdom
beneath the rock of ages
praying for maturity
to never surrender
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
and the water fell
pounded upon the earth
relentlessly cleansing
the planet for centuries
forcing god’s children
to reinvent themselves
yet another time
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you entered the ward
with a smile in your eye
quietly knelt beside me
and whispered of a world
where the dazzling white light
promises to free me
from the pain inside
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
what heart is broken
seeks out to find
a remedy certain
to forget past times
how sad the memory
painful to the heart
broken yet breathing
forever on guard
time is of essence
nothing stands still
a heart once broken
desires to rebuild
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the river ran dry
the year of the drought
collapsing the water table
atop its own legs
the wishing well closed
from lack of moisture
turning back all the day dreamers
hoping for change
september two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
The oranges here are amazing as are the
tomatoes and apples. I didn’t come here
for the fruit but damn it’s all so good.
You may never see me again! JW
Postcard Poem Guidelines
september two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
papa made it clear
he wanted his bones
buried out in the field
using the same
crop circle pattern
the aliens created
back in the summer
of nineteen ninety-two
august two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
satan sat poised and silent
listening to the dead man’s plea
nodding like a disinterested psychiatrist
who magnanimously extended the session
so the injured soul could recount
all the right reasons
for distrusting the existence
of life after death
august two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I fell in love with you from the very start
your shapely lines burned my eyes
reflecting off a mirror
I bought as a gift
before realizing
I wasn’t the only one you left penniless
with desperate thoughts of turning the blade
against my own will
august two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
in a desperate attempt
to regain my focus
i found myself
walking the streets
of the city
for days on end
buying random thoughts
from ordinary people
in hopes of curing
the quiet desperation
of an idle mind
august two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
drums bang slowly into the night
keeping time with toy soldiers
marching through the streets
enforcing a curfew imposed
by the new boss promising
freedoms this world has yet to know
july two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the drawing pencils
were in perfect shape
all sharpened just once
or twice and neatly
kept in their cardboard box
after midnight i found them
scattered on the drawing table
some worn down to the nub
others snapped in half
all terrorized by chance
july two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you forgot to tell me
where you had gone
so I wandered into the night
dreaming I would find you
somewhere safe
the night never ended
neither did the dream
of finding you
beyond the treetops
as an infinite light
july two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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