jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the category “Nature”

Into the Earth


This poem was my first blog post on December 7, 2011.
It is now the last one on this site.
A very special thanks to everyone who visited my poetry over the years.



In my mind I draw a square
in the very center of the garden

From there I dig into the earth
using the seasoned spade
usually reserved for plantings

The hole slowly turns into a cube
as three mounds resemble
Egyptian resting places

Further down the soil
becomes hard and cold
the clay malleable enough
to mold eternal companions

Satisfied the opening
is mathematically sound
I hold the spade at my side
sweat falling off my forehead
silently instructing the child
to bring forth her loved one
to the newly built altar




november two thousand eleven
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Retreating within


Alone in the backyard
softly singing a lullaby
I once knew by heart
so many years ago

The sky became twilighty—
I heard a lone engine
slowly whining on the tracks
miles away along the river

My little ditty drifted
& faded from memory
giving way to birdsong
ushering in the dusk

Their beautiful trills
transported me inwardly
—somehow sadness
seemed to fill the air


may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

preparation


I lie in darkness
but not silence
paying attention to
my breathing
barely existing
like desert sand

at some point
I will open my eyes
and wonder
where I may be
soaring high
above the clouds
or diving deep
into an endless sea





may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

radioactive


creeping through the soil
like an earthworm
it has no destination

watch your step
you don’t know where
those rocks have been

alchemists assay
ancient elements
in search of black magic

wolves of chernobyl
teach resistance
to their little ones

walking hospital hallways
cancer patients
pray for miracles


april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

cloud interpretations


hand in hand
the pair went up the hill
not to fetch a pail of water
but to lie on their backs
among the wildflowers
spotting & pointing at
anomalous phenomena
flying ambiguously
in & out of cumulus clouds


april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

as the world order changes


as the world order changes
so does common sense
shifting like tectonic plates
after volcanic explosions

a collective dream of visible air
floats from the ground up
physical particles inevitably
breathed in by man & beast

advances occur on multiple fronts
math & science & nature
spinning inside tunneled conductors
controlled by a golden wand


april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

the eternal spring


first there was january’s thaw
followed by february’s
and then came march

each time afterward
winter reminded how winter
loves to wield its influence

eventually the water pump
would be plunged
back into the garden well
and the pondless waterfall
would once again
extend its invitation to a world
deep in comfort & imagination


april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

desert rain


southwestern sandstorms
spinning & twisting
transporting sacred ground
high into the heavens
as if to appease
a hungry god

unsuspecting clouds
become sated by earth & essence
drifting north by northeast
gaining strength along the way
like a waxing gibbous
about to explode


march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

on the edge of recreation


no one expects
to get out of practice
in such a hurry

the nature of the unknown
such a capricious thing
appearing out of nowhere
unannounced
& uncaring
above all unemotional

while displacements
may be planned
many are not
making you bend at the knee
forced to test your patience
& resolve to make
something out of nothing


march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

earth’s rotation


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

daffodils of another color


on the last day of february
I saw daffodils abloom
in the woods

wanting nothing in return
they were there for the taking

I paused & for a moment
studied them in earnest
at their delicacy
& their modesty
proceeding to carry them with me
in mind only
throughout the remainder of the day


february two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

inside the moon


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

the brilliance of her eyes


there is nonsense in her reasoning
often mistaken as a mistletoe
on a cool summer’s eve

she sparkles like champagne
on the rarest of nights
a warm sky lit up in the countryside
as the townsfolk fall fast asleep
unknowing what they are missing
except through their dreaming

out in the fields she dances all alone
the wind light & airy
at play with the rhythm of the music
swaying through the trees
contributing to her mysteries
that of a forgotten night
and the brilliance of her eyes


february two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

the curious pool


time slips into a pool
of a nondescript stream
eddying unperceptively
to the untrained eye

how far below the surface
could the curious pool possibly go

there is one way to find out
and that way may be the only way
to never be seen again


january two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

half past moon


the moon is a timepiece
its complex mechanisms
working flawlessly & unseen
inside its hollowed out shell

understanding its place in time
simple math is in order
performing certain calculations
such as counting to thirty

its measurements are linear
disguised by repetitious orbits
and shadowing phases
complementing your every day

syncing up with its mystery
may require up to a lifespan
but once the connection is made
time will never be the same


january two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

The Great Silence


Deep inside the forest
where one least expects
to lose their fear
a voice suddenly appears:

‘What do you want most out of life?’

Unsurprised by the unknown
the answer is given immediately:
‘to give comfort & aid to the powerless’’

The voice responds:
‘the river is dry & the people have fled’

Yes of course
they have scattered into the countryside
in search of the next utopia
while I seek refuge within the forest
inside the great silence


january two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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