The pressure within
knows no bounds
fluctuating over time
as a continual slow climb
of ebbs & flows
forever advancing to the point
where waters converge
submerging into oblivion
january two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the old woman is counting
her blessings
which are really young chickens
running around the grounds
with little to no supervision
in the barn her granddaughter
is counting eggs before they hatch
there are over 100 eggs
the granddaughter tells the old woman
who is rocking slowly in her chair
acting as if the number must be accurate
refraining from repeating an old adage
she herself learned as a little girl
december two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
lady of the mirror
calls you to retreat into reflection
back to the city center
where you once wandered the streets at night
or deep into the forest
where sights & sounds remind you
of a life before this one
she tells you what you crave
is a nonjudgmental environment
one in which your own
reflection
reminds you of the stars that shine
revealing all the many things
you are certain to find
december two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Out of the blue winter arrives unannounced
a flock of geese aided by northwest winds
settling on a lake locked inside no man’s land
far away from any civilian populations
a flock of geese aided by northwest winds
covering over one thousand miles
far away from any civilian populations
migrating loudly & seemingly effortless
covering over one thousand miles
unaffected by the plummeting temperatures
migrating loudly & seemingly effortless
over forest & mountain & open plain
unaffected by the plummeting temperatures
out of the blue winter arrives unannounced
over forest & mountain & open plain
settling on a lake locked inside no man’s land
december two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
personal gods are childlike
always prevailing over the lessers
karmic-minded & interconnected
with everything outside
the human mind
such gods project incredible
optical hallucinations
hinting at nature’s mysteries
some seen as newly freed birds
escaping inner stability
invention based on observation
the emotional self
seeks its inner child
not out of fear or curiosity
rather out of necessity
november two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
out in the fields
children capture carbon
out of thin air
armed with netting
& glass bottles w/airtight lids
having learned early on
rain forests alone
cannot save the planet
november two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
winds & rains & planetary rotation
strips the mighty oak of its november leaves
but not its power of regeneration
it’s as if it had died a thousand deaths
yielding to its cyclical fate with
elegance & humility
like a bear in hibernation
sleeping through the winter
headstrong & towering & unafraid
dreaming uninterrupted of endless summers
of the promise of primaveral sunshine
november two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
listen how the wind whistles & sings
passing through trees without any leaves
an orchestral feeling in the making
november’s promise comes & goes
the end & beginning of a brand-new life
listen how the wind whistles & sings
days & nights pass by like a breeze
giving rise to the eventual sound of winter
an orchestral feeling in the making
bright autumn colors flash & fade
solitary birds lamenting their isolation
listen how the wind whistles & sings
fear not the invasion from the north
trumpets & fifes & drums leading the charge
an orchestral feeling in the making
how do you ever begin to believe
that there is light beyond the darkness
winds whistling & singing as you shudder
promising returning life to the trees
november two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
where do you begin
once understanding how the end
is always present
there’s nothing to second guess here
since it all happens all at once
objects thrown at you
from all directions
as if you’re a participant inside
a cartoon sketch
or pinball machine
you’re making moves
you never knew you possessed
deflecting deviations
with the palms of your hands
and the bottoms of your feet
and then you find yourself inside
a collective dance
synchronizing new ideas with past lives
as if it’s second nature
october two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
yesterday exists
mccartney
sang about it
once upon a time
do you remember
how it used
to be—how
it’s not anything like
that anymore
instead it’s today
something new
something to embrace
or something to fear
depending
on the mood that
strikes you
when you awaken
attempting to remember
what it was
you did yesterday
such as giving witness
to the moonrise
how she spoke to you
saying look at me
can you detect the
difference—how I am
almost exactly the same
as yesterday
october two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the giver of life
is dying
I saw her in the garden
a black-eyed susan
chatting amongst friends
I told her to rest assured
she would
one day return
born of the forest
& worshiped
by flora & fauna
flourishing within like royalty
I thought she was thirsty
but it turned out to be me
so I asked her
to freeze me in the moment
but it was too late
the seeds
I had collected in my mind
were swept away
by the wind
october 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
from the balcony
on a cool evening
controlled fires
can be seen if not heard
in the distance
the smoke is palpable
mixing with birdsong & dewey grasses
the fading light mimicking
a quickly falling sun
night falls suddenly
the deadness of the air
like a cold chill out of nowhere
somewhat smothering
like lingering smoke
a stark contrast to the lights waltzing
far beyond the sky
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I
Like a black cat in the night
Vocal but unseen
Chasing the moon past the horizon
Pretending to be a bear
Finding a place to hibernate
Before the first snowfall
II
A child rushes in
Only to be thrown back out
Ricocheting like a toon
Totally in control
Screaming at the highs
And crying with the lows
LIttle chance of ever
Not being noticed
III
Taking from the past
Offering colorful warmth
With open arms
The next day projecting glimpses
Of the days to come
Short & cold & unforgiving
IV
Autumn’s diversity
Changing like a chameleon
Depending on the color of the moon
Morning
Noon
And night
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
lost in contemplation
pull me back
bring me back
to my senses
where I am the earth
and you the moon
drifting on a cumulus
soft and warm
your hand reaches out
like a shooting star
coaxing me
back to my senses
transitioning into
another body
beyond another plane
you come to your senses
and I follow suit
lost in the cosmic sway
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
What fool is this I said
walking on shallow water
how can he possibly
play tricks with my eyes
From the locust tree
an owl replied it is the moon
disguised as a man
walking on water
But the moon I said
circles above
with predictable regularity
how can it be
I’ve never seen it before
on the face of the earth
The owl replied
the moon is everywhere
at all times
and will be with you in the grave
when the time is right
But what of the moon
disguised as a man
walking on shallow water
for what purpose is this
The purpose the owl replied
is to illustrate
possibilities are endless
whether on land or water
or any unimaginable place
for that matter
you may have yet to see
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 