jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters

24 Sep 2023

mass extinction


tipping points abound
like dress shoes on a clown
overpopulated ideas
doomed to fail
over a matter of time

we know this
because of history & science
and the indisputable fact
human ingenuity
knows no bounds
—as a collective
creating its very own
artificial demise

meanwhile the crows
keep learning
at an accelerated pace
conspiring to clean up the mess
once handed over the keys





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
23 Sep 2023

going through the motions


black goat
grazing atop a craggy hill
thoughtless
going thru the motions
clouds up above white
& immovable
blocking the midday sun
unnoticeable to the
black goat
grazing atop a craggy hill





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Aliens, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
22 Sep 2023

varying wavelengths


the winds swept in
brought with it fire & rain
burning all the evidence
and washing it all away

nobody was left
to pick up the pieces
and over time it became
a place that may have existed

it is said a certain energy
resides inside such uncertainty
transiting in & out of memory
like souls lost in the woods





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
21 Sep 2023

the chase


3:30 AM
a cool breeze
touching the silky white curtain
nary a sound in or out
of the bedroom
his eyes in REM mode
acting out a scene
racing down an alleyway
guns & knives & cocaine giving chase
adrenaline fully kicked in
instinct & logistics collaborating
his heart racing
his skin clammy
someone on the other side
shaking his limp body
screaming wake up wake up wake up





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
20 Sep 2023

two steps forward


diminishing but not beyond recognition
this stale state of mind
requires a new kind of wake-up call
one in which the soul within
is stirred but not shaken
a reminder there is more work
yet to be done

in the morning the radio & the sun
& the birds of a nation
reminds us there is good reason
to pause & reflect
to take one step backward
before taking two
into this uncertain future





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
19 Sep 2023
9 Comments

dynamic


angles are always changing
depending on the view
or the tilt of the earth

like a b&w flipbook of the moon
going through the phases

or bulbous-head water tower
near the center of town
occasionally shifting its location

on a stone wall
three pale white angels
quietly bide their time
their dark shadows
ebbing & flowing
like the tides

there is mystery in every
corner of the hour
perspectives coming & going
concrete ideas pixelating
until becoming fleeting





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
18 Sep 2023
2 Comments

the silent street cleaner


discussions led to allegations
something about a lie
& how the street killer
is still out there

how many lives must perish
before the lie
is extinguished
before the silent killer
is exposed for all
the world to know

allegations led to revelations
of a lie within a lie
the killer carrying
a concealed weapon & silencer
taking pot shots at any
& all known stool pigeons





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, Birds, Poetry and tagged , ,
17 Sep 2023

the final curtain call


listen carefully my love
for I shall be whispering
the words that vibrate
through the air
shaped by the moon
& the crow
& the trees standing
tall on the boulevard

do not grieve my love
when the moon
loses its mystery
or the crow delivers
its last waltz
or the trees standing
tall on the boulevard
take their final bow





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
16 Sep 2023

inviting like a garden


a snake in the grass
is much better than one
on asphalt
a road on the outskirts of town
black & fiery hot
from the midday sun

do not attempt
to cross the highway lowly one
and do not tempt me with
your foolish games

if you’re smart
you’ll retreat to the shoulder
and back to the green grass
moistened by the morning dew
inviting like a garden
where knowledge grows





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
15 Sep 2023

turning ideas into reality


they threw me in the van
& away we went
next thing I knew we were
partying in mad city

everytime the story’s told
it changes ever so slightly
[usually for the better]
how we all went
underground
like teenagers on a mission
creating a strange
new world
out of absolutely nothing





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
14 Sep 2023
3 Comments

pocket watch


she bought me
a present
a small box
about the size of a fist
off-white w/a small lid
a red bow on top

I smiled & craned my neck
toward her mouth
our lips touching briefly
—a quick kiss

the world as I knew it
resided in that box
a timeless treasure
inside its own space
like a pearl
or a memory
like a diamond in the rough

aren’t you going to open
it she asked
—and what would be the point
in that I replied





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
13 Sep 2023

when everything else is gone


besides reading
I’ve been listening of late
talking less & when I do
doing so more quietly

after my heart stopped racing
I started thinking
despite all the many things
I must have done wrong
there is an equal amount
just the opposite

when everything else is gone
and all that’s left is you
try to remember all the colors
you brought into this world
—and all the ones
you’ll be taking with you





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
12 Sep 2023

nine ball in the corner


I probably won’t be around
to see how it all ends
but then again maybe I’m just a cat
enjoying an earlier life

it’s true I don’t recall
where or when I was born
instead I must rely on others
who claim to know such information

concerning the before & after
what I witness by day isn’t enough
instead I rely on technicolor dreams
forcing me to jump to my feet

I’d like to be a mouse or a mole
working from the inside
gathering intel by way of a frequency
only I can understand

somehow I’ve got this feeling
next time I’ll wake up
on the other side of the world
probably someplace like kathmandu





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
11 Sep 2023
4 Comments

the power of love


holding hands on a park bench
each looking out toward the river
neither saying a word
as if their thoughts alone
commingled on another plane

birds unseen but plenty verbal
hardly imitating but
participating in the vibration
witnessing & believing in
the power of love





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , ,
10 Sep 2023

dry spell


dormant grass
shades of failing green
& dirty brown

river splitting the city
sluggish & low
rocky bottom exposed

clouds in the sky
like carnival animals
refuse to precipitate

manufactured rain
sprinkler casting prisms
children dash & leap





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
09 Sep 2023

the last waltz


I’m like a transistor radio w/many channels
what song would you like to hear

now god is coming through loud & clear
in the form of the twenty-third psalm

an invisible hand reaches out
advancing the dial from station to station

red hot chili peppers take to the waves
road trippin’ with their two favorite allies

joplin & meat loaf singing a duet
sinatra & winehouse as backing vocals

wrigley guests in the television booth
singing take me out to the ballgame

there’s no such thing as dead air
not as long as I’m spinning the vinyls

late night shift quickly coming to an end
I leave you with the last waltz





september two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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