jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the category “Micropoetry”

lady-in-waiting


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

bread


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

unloved


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

chapter two


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

the flood


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

the guardian


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

courage


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

without a wish


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

postcard


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

crop circle


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

go on


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

white lies


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

remedy


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

fooled again


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

snapped


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

I never dreamed


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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