jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters

21 Feb 2015
2 Comments

regimental marching band


they appeared out of the west wing
of a virtual stage
sleepwalking puppets
marching along a shoulder-high wall
made of various shades of reddish
brown pavers
held together over countless scores
by weeping concrete

their wooden heads bobbed and weaved
eyes dark as night
and gazing at hazardous skies
some carrying arms
while others waved flags of various nations
those pushing up the rear
keeping time on tom-toms
and bamboo fifes

off they went systematically along
the bloodlined wall
never again to return
surely to be replaced by a band of brothers
temporarily held together
by the thinnest of wires
or no wires at all



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , ,
18 Feb 2015
7 Comments

riding the storm out


driving down the interstate
doing seventy-seven
city lights nowhere in sight
he routinely checked his side view
his rear view
his front view
occasionally checking in on
his quiet companion riding shotgun

they hadn’t spoken for over an hour
and he wondered if she had awakened

what’s wrong she whispered

I was just thinking about the grid
he said
how fragile it may or may not be
and what will happen next if it gets hit again

how much further are we going tonight
she asked

I don’t know he said
maybe until my hand stops hurting
or we see some morning light



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
15 Feb 2015
2 Comments

little sunday school riders


they said nobody got hurt
when the madman driving
the sunday school bus painted blue
loaded with dozens of inner city children
went belly up in two feet of snow
somewhere along highway 13

inside the old bus without seat belts
nearly all the little ones were improperly
dressed for the outside conditions
and when the madman
lost all control of the vessel
everyone inside stumbled and tumbled
on top of each other
screaming for the almighty himself
to appear out of nowhere and save them

notwithstanding a little frost bite
it was a miracle nobody got hurt



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
14 Feb 2015
8 Comments

phantom highway


one hundred miles an hour
is not that fast compared
to the past ten years
gone in a flash
such a blurry mess
god knows where everything
lost or stolen ended up

chasing the southern sun
down a divided highway
a cold one on my lap
flashing red lights
materialize in my rear view
sirens demanding I pull over
this souped-up monster

I don’t think I’ll let them
catch me today
and I disappear by bleeding
into the faraway landscape
my mind and body seemingly
finding new life
plugged into this fine machine



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , ,
12 Feb 2015
4 Comments

fighting over rings and things


we can’t ever forget hate
it’s tattooed on our biceps
trademarked on baseball bats
and army issued khaki pants

we walk around with grudges
taped on our faces like some
splintered biblical family that never
went to church on sundays
nor practiced what they preached

real estate is abundantly spacious
once you are dead and gone
catapulted into the farthest
reaches of the unknown
but in the meantime
we treat it like some precious ring
nobody in this world
deserves to possess



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , ,
11 Feb 2015

sacrificial is the light


out in the fields
bonfires consume the air
pushed by the wind and shoving back
sparkling like stars
and speaking in new tongues

eons away prehistoric microlife awaken
hypnotic and unknowingly
attracted to the light
traveling at the speed of a lifetime
before effortlessly giving in
with unmitigated enthusiasm



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
08 Feb 2015
2 Comments

the woman and the dragon

from the book of revelation

looking back I saw a woman
dressed much like mother earth
giving birth to a king in the
land of promise and humility

an enormous red dragon
possessing master intelligence
and unchallenged authority
long ago recruited an army of angelic
host to destroy the newborn

and though succeeding at having him
put to death
the child was raised on the third day and
spirited away to his heavenly kingdom

since the deception in the garden
the red dragon has successfully ruled with
fiery abandon against all inhabitants

this mother of earth fled into the desert as
commanded by her lord
hiding from the red dragon during the
time of the great war that began in heaven
a war in which the winged general michael
drove the red dragon and his rebel angels
back to earth where they remained
forever confined

privy to all things seen and unseen
the lord of lords hid his people’s church
in a special place
as well as securing the believing
remnant of israel in the desert
near the dead waters



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dogma, Poetry and tagged , , , ,
07 Feb 2015
7 Comments

obscure crimes and self-inflicted wounds


that man you once knew
full of anger and pride and misguided
intentions
he’s gone now

I made sure of it

I got him drunk on his own whiskey
and drove him far out of town
kicked him out with just a knapsack
and a flashlight and a pocketful of change
told him to never dare come back

I was just glad I didn’t have
to threaten him with my pistol
and as soon as I get stitched up
and cleared to go home
I’m going to bury that damn
thing out back
for the very last time





february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , ,
06 Feb 2015
2 Comments

may day in the night sky


high speeds through clouds made of ice
wings molting then unraveling
hands grasping for someplace to land
as bodies busily spin in darkness
like lost souls in space mountains

with no time for substantive thoughts to evolve
time stands still for a matter of forever

twisted turning steel opens triangular windows
disappears into a brand new universe
while every living thing in its path
expands and contracts like a comet’s tail
breaking apart only to reconnect



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , ,
04 Feb 2015
2 Comments

this constant reinventing is nonsense


it worried him so
how everything would get done
believed the night owl never slept
believed the early worm
glowed in the dark for all to see
but nobody saw
and that worried him

too many goals
too many milestones to achieve
and to what end he asked himself while
pumping cheap gas into his cheap car
pontificating to himself
how worlds away
men were setting men on fire

it’s bad enough
I’ve got to live my own life
but what about all the next lives
I’ve got to endure
how I am supposed to make it through
all of them he asked himself

back on the street
he takes one bad turn
and before he knows it
he’s speeding down streets
never before seen
streets turning into boulevards
turning into avenues
into alleyways leading
to dead ends

just like in past lives inside virtual worlds
he loses himself yet again
the cabin of the car flashing red
tempting him to start all over again



february two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , ,
31 Jan 2015
8 Comments

never a dull moment


I saw that young grey squirrel
all winter long
chasing cars and
scaring dogs on leashes
jumping at them from out of nowhere
then zigzagging here then there
zipping out of sight laughing

I imagined he had stashes of nuts
all over the neighborhood
because he always looked
lean and mean
more energetic than any winter
squirrel I ever did see
scampering all over like it was spring

on days when the magic seemingly
runs dry I wish I could
reach into his bag of tricks
pull out a masterpiece that
makes you suddenly hit the brakes
sending your sedan swerving
over the curb and
slamming into your own snowman



january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, Poetry and tagged , , , ,
28 Jan 2015
2 Comments

antarctica


colder than I could have ever imagined
here I am walking among the gentoo
as if exploring another planet

I came here to die but decided
there was too much to live for
as long as I couldn’t get out of this place



january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , ,
26 Jan 2015
8 Comments

the start of a brand new day


there’s something missing he said
opening the refrigerator
pulling out a mcintosh and
gutting it with the round steel slicer

deliberately he ate slice after slice in
complete silence
focusing on the uneasy feeling
deep inside his core

outside on the front patio he heard
the daily paper kicking the door

out back a stray cat cried in the cold
garnering the attention of camouflaged chickadees
sitting quietly from within the pines

a gust of wind brought forth new life
from the many wind chimes

beneath his feet he feels the morning train
beginning to roll from a few miles away
a good forty minutes late he tells himself

as the first whistle blows
the sun breaks free from the clouds



january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
24 Jan 2015
2 Comments

I lost a day and found everything


time machine on four wheels
fueled by some kind of natural gas
yet to be mined or refined
sent me on backward courses
destined to make me believe
in new definitions

there is something to be found
where you least expect
especially when weaving in
and out of byways and highways
genuine or imaginary or
in the design phase

bracing for impact I wasn’t
sure if I was exiting or entering
my man-made machine
simple and complex and
able to travel everywhere
in a matter of seconds



january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
21 Jan 2015
5 Comments

second story rescue


I’ve been here before
I recognize the painting on the wall
recall being inside this second story
room with drapes flowing out like fire

below in the courtyard
chickens and children scramble about
and I squint my eyes peering
past hills rolling into my heart

everything is moving away from
my current line of vision
and I stand bent over and desperate
reaching out to be rescued



january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
20 Jan 2015
6 Comments

I took hold of one end and she the other


pulling back with equal strength we stretched the
dried-out wishbone ever so slowly

it was then I wondered why there are always
winners and losers
why the winning side always smiles
and laughs and dances and kisses
spraying champagne and crying for joy

it was then the bone snapped and I stood
there smiling with the longer piece

here you go I said handing her the winning ticket
let’s get out of here
lunch is on me



january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,

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