acquiescence
if only I had freed my mind
from the fatal threat
I would have cleared the board
of thoughtlessness
instead of surrendering
to acquiescence
august two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca
poetry by j matthew waters
dreaming for peace
in the dream
a dark cloud follows overhead
like a skeptical stray cat
neither threatening nor kind
unbiased and nearly lifeless
far beyond
stars form stellar pyramids
with eye-shaped apertures
blinking a visual morse code
only warlords understand
in the dream
martin luther king preaches
to a desperate generation
promising harmony and hope
where there is only despair
far beyond
star factories push the limits
within a universe pulling back
brushing aside dark clouds
and bringing change on earth
august two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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Infantry
He was born with a suicide pack
strapped around his waist
not too far from where Jesus the prophet died
nor too far from where the once trendiest cafe in town
is now a basketball court
Through the age of seven he pleased Allah
by wearing the gift with pride
fully understanding his duty
was more powerful
than his circumcised phallus
As the eventual light self-destructed
into angelic chaos of heavenly proportions
he leapt into the next dimension
and into the arms
of seventy-two virgins
august two thousand thirteen
original version october two thousand seven
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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highway survivor
there are no lawyers here
so there is no one
to call or point fingers at
I’m just sitting here on the
highway’s shoulder
figuring out my next move
I see everything at once
and without even trying
I’m getting quite used to it
the wreck across the way
is mine but it’s been
five or ten or fifty years ago
sure seems like yesterday
I keep thinking maybe one day
I might branch out
and try my hand at haunting
august two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
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waiting for the sun
born into the dark ages
the children loved to listen
to the chronicles of the sun
rising above the hills and
making everything on earth
supernaturally magical
august two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
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a simple tweet
we walked hand
in hand
throughout the centuries
seeking treasures
along the shoreline
wondering what lies
beyond the faintest star
august two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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the time eraser
fleet of foot
and quite aloof
the time eraser
runs in the background
as quiet as a ghost
as mistakes
accumulate
the time eraser
springs into action
restoring sanity
troubles fade
thoughts unravel
the time eraser
intravenously
injecting new cocktails
august two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
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from the newsroom archives
born into a disconnected world
thousands of years back or forwards
angry young men
count using hands and feet
and algorithms buried
beneath the rubble
without warning there is no danger
there are only unexplained explosions
breathing new life
into a universe dying to attract
everything that is beautiful
inside a perfect circle
august two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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come here boy
the bichon is on to something
he knows better
about going outside
where the dangers have crept
from the country to the city
over a period of
less than a dog’s life
chester didn’t used to be this way
but the latest barrage
of borrowed artillery
has taken its toll on his fragility
has left him second guessing
every single move he’s made
since he was a baby
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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games children play
I listened for the past
but found only this noisy place
littered with half-drunken moments
and thunderstorms
so boisterous
we were forced to hide
under the bed with earbuds
and electronic coloring books
I listened for the past
turned knobs on an etch-a-sketch
producing a frequency
revisiting
black light images
dissolving into channels
of jagged lines weaving baskets
and a cat’s cradle
I listened for the past
by focusing on a spirit
reassuredly haunting and
beautifully
invisible
hiding behind the maple
waiting for the oxen to be called
to free her people
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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before the winds do
I thought I heard something
but it was just the wind
I think she said
sitting in the living room
I perked up and turned down
the baseball on TV
started to listen in
like one of those creeps
repetitive silence ensued
followed by curious winds
sneaking in
through the attic vents
rushing in I reached out
begging her to take
my hand
before the winds do
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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going underground
ants are everywhere
and most of them are downright
industrious
then there’s the spiders
and snakes and whatever nature
wants to sally forth populating this place
ground squirrels moved in
last week
little sons a bitches
neighbor says he’s got a
groundhog
living up there
behind them bushes
wolves and foxes make for
scary noises
beyond the border trees at night
or maybe it’s just two cats without gloves
settling an old match
or better yet
an adolescent sasquatch
out looking for a snack
beneath all the commotion
subhumans thrive at
twenty-four seven bazaars
peddling flashlights and canteens
and cuban cigars
dark chocolate squares
and high-powered rifles
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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godspeed to anarchy
they sat around the fire pit
on a saturday
downing amber ale
and getting high on sticky weed
midsummer stories ensued
as evening turned into night
and off in the distance
a freight train chugged along the river
slightly shaking the ground
and slowly picking up speed
past the corn sweetener plant
bottles were raised
and toasts were made
to hobos and train hopping
followed by wild ass guesses
as to the whereabouts
of their long lost buddy
who so many years ago
chose the obscure lifestyle
of a punk rock anarchist
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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obsession
when you love something
so deeply
that you cannot live without
and the primitive nature inside you
supersedes the laws
of logistics and morality
take notice
for your best laid plans
in conquering your desires
may unwittingly leave you choiceless
and as baseless as the next man
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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heart and soul – a poem for the weary
he walks alone
because he has no place
to go
yet he knows
as long as he keeps moving
the world will never slow down
he smiles because
he was told it would keep warm his soul
and he figured
that would be a good thing
in case his heart went cold
remembering is what
he does best
not the yesterday kind of remembering
but the kind
where you go way back when
the kind
that makes you smile
and makes your heart reminisce
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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don’t let the clowns scare you
in the clouds the clowns
perform with their balloons
and wacky flowers
and superlative feet
making the children laugh and cry
leaving them wondering
why this world
is such a mysterious place
in the cloud memories
are stored so the children
can recall those days
of carelessness and glee
before forced into figuring out
how the clowns managed to
make this world
seemingly unforgettable
july two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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