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
the field was full of mines
blending in with grasses
flowers & weeds
signs are posted everywhere
colored red & yellow
images of skull & crossbones
signs of impending doom
and yet death & disability
continue to this day
a stark reminder to the locals
how the war never ended
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
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
there is no life in the living room
except for this philodendron
its large green leaves waxy & variegated
falling off the cliff of the coffee table
it doesn’t require much love
maybe an occasional sip of blue water
ultraviolet rays a few days a week
a little trim four times a year
it used to exist in a different room
and rarely seen
back when there used to be
so much traffic in the living room
but now that it sits front & center
there is hardly anyone around
to appreciate its sweet simplicity
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
they didn’t know each other
but they were sitting on the same park bench
at a minimum fifty years separating them
your child is such a lovely flower
the old woman said
her eyes locked on the toddler who
played with a pail & shovel in the sandbox
yes at times
the young woman replied
but other times like a weed
needing to be yanked
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
for some reason mom doesn’t like
women sports announcers
whether in the booth
or on the sidelines
says it’s something about
their voices
yet she’s unable to articulate
just what exactly
as for me it makes no difference
I usually have the game
on mute anyway
listening to music
or playing the saxophone
wondering how many
pretty women
might be pissing off the mama
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I am new to the city
but not lost
internal instincts
telling me which way
to turn and when
the old city is long gone
once flattened
by supernatural forces
other times sacked
at the hands of men
having found comfort
underground
there’s a relative sense
of security here
finding a little light to map
my next leg
further from the border
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
when I had no song
I listened to the birds
their effortless imaginings
leaving me in deep thought
when I had no thought
I closed my eyes
imagined where I would be
without a single breath
when I had no breath
I found myself immersed
beneath an endless sea
images of life abounding
july two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Please not one word of the man who had killed me
Don’t mention his name and his name will pass on
—Anonymous
I’ve been singing cowboy songs of late
or maybe they’re songs of enduring death
songs of resurrections
in this town you need to check in your guns
at the sheriff’s office
even the smallest infraction
like the one stashed inside your bootleg
could cost you your life
a few hundred yards south of here
you’ll find the markers
of those who broke one simple law
one intended to defer unnecessary death
some of them
riding off into the sunset
singing songs about the next verse
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
where did you go
after all the anxiety left
as if your body
left behind
a puddle of confusion
did you take all the suffering
with you
or did you leave it behind
for some unfortunate
soul to find
I’m surprised you hadn’t
already sought your karma
or did you go
a different direction this time
perhaps skyward
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
The winds brought in
birds of a different color
black horned raptors
& little white swifties
some sort of gray swallow
just to name a few
They hung out mostly
by bay windows
& electrical substations
performing provocative
aerial shows
to a distrustful citizenry
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I never thought
we were supposed to go
backwards
but eventually the time comes
a point in time
that really has no definition
where you realize
regression is greater
than reality
so what can you do
except face the music
begin to dance again
taking you back to a point in time
where we lived
for the moment
just like we do today
only back then it was beautiful
and romantic
and the world as we knew it
was a happier place
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the world is out of balance
all you have to do
is look to the moon & the sea
their cyclical movements
incorporating something unique
at any given moment
seacraft & aircraft
& especially spacecraft
coming & going
by way of an invisible vortex
orchestrated by lineless triangles
and headless directors
meanwhile back on land
a populace chases
dreams they’ll never see
impossible ambitions
manipulating supply & demand
fueling untapped fanaticism
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
after a night of ups & downs
the morning arrives unceremoniously
a slow transition from silence
to quietly audible sounds
a little bit of light filtering in
what conversation there is
resides in the back of your mind
sitting on the end of the bed
trying to determine if your dream
will one day become reality
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I don’t have issues
needing to be resolved
nor do I suffer
from any sort of complication
physical or otherwise
Are far as the various
personalities
residing inside this body
they are no less complicated
than a trip to the moon
or a lovely stroll
down lavender lane
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 