I had been working on ways
to incorporate the em dash
in a meaningful way
but the longer I think about it
the more I realize
I should be working
on letting things come my way
more naturally
october two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s going to be colder than it should be
the weatherman said
leaving me puzzled by the phrasing
it’s like saying Bob is higher than he should be
an observation most likely
obvious though probably ridiculous
september two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sitting pretty
amongst the daisies
unassuming & accustomed
to the natural order of things
the little lady in red & black
patiently awaits
the rising sun
september two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the smell of ash
& burnt wood
a slight breeze from
the south
nearly midnight
something is wrong
with the world
the terror within
takes a back seat
to someone
else’s reality
where most struggles
go unnoticed
burning a slow burn
september two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
political violence seeps into
our children’s dreams
concealed as spiders
& snakes
—when they awaken
talk of wounding & maiming
enter their mainstream conscious
even killing
if that’s what it has to
come down to
september two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
when you have no idea
what your next move might be
or if tomorrow is even
a possibility
that’s just the right time
to breathe in
whatever air you can find
exhaling with a smile
and a rhyme
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
heaven is a place
where you can finally
be yourself
instead of someone
you yourself barely knew
it could be anywhere
you’d like it to be
and quite honesty
dying first
is not a prerequisite
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the tragedy of the day
didn’t go as planned
and in the end
everything worked out
for the living
as far as the dead
everything seemed
to work out
just fine for them
in the end
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sometimes when I’m stuck
I ask myself
what would bukowski do
and it is in that moment
I realize
I’ll remain stuck
at least until
the sun goes down
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
The hill was usually off-white
& much steeper in the winter
a time when they would pull
their flexible flyer along centuries-old stone steps
a slow climb as others raced by
in the opposite direction
their prostrate bodies
a colorful low lying blur
—familiar voices screaming
in uncontrolled exhilaration
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it was a gem of a thought
something I had been waiting for
these past few days
but when it hit me
I was far removed from my comfort zone
and by the time I was able
to resurface into my space
the thought was dead & gone
as if it had never existed
in the first place
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
when the train has run out of track
that’s when you know
you’ve reached your destination
from that point on
you are free to take off in any direction
except back to the point
from which you came
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
to get paid for what you love
does that somehow
make your purpose in life
more meaningful
or is it merely happenstance
a bonus if you will
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s always been too much house
black widows casting spells
from within wasted spaces
the tiny bedroom a dot in the ocean
—an island of misfit miscellany
muted noises next to nothing
to worry about
except when the water tables
start to rise
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
internal time clock
ticking down
cold war key masters
standing by unseen
safeguarding
your sacred heart
at some point
time will stand still
cold war key masters
resigned to defeat
fully aware
all good things
must come to pass
july two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
change is in the air
but then again what else is new
clouds like lies
covering prior mistakes
unnoticed by innocent eyes
nearly always sporting
rose-colored glasses
july two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 