we sang with the coyote
their desert song
in the darkness of a
moonless night
do not be sad my love
although the song may fade
the stars are certain
to align again
december two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the american experiment
implodes yet again
semi-automatic handgun an
early christmas gift
designed to stop the testing
taking place in halls of education
a country founded on violence
will forever remain violent
laws set in concrete
ensure this basic tenet
while the pursuit of happiness
is gunned down all too often
december two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
perhaps earth herself was responsible
for killing off the dinosaurs
and nothing else
having become disgruntled with the way
they pillaged the land
a select few destroying the lives
of so many others
they shall be reduced to birds of flight
and various reptilian creatures
who will later be named by humans
but only after the latter
would have reached a certain degree
of intelligence
the rest of the story stands before you
idling at the crossroad
the beauty of her diversity at odds
with the human byproduct
the contributions of the artists
the pollution of the cities
capitalism & socialism & pseudo philanthropy
geometry & astrology & poetry
mass murder & social injustice
merry christmas & april fool’s day
december two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
how do you figure
a little patience goes a long way
in this day & age
death after death
the inevitable a constant reminder
staring at you in the mirror
in the morning
yellow biscuit rising brightly
right behind your back
wicker basket on the deck
soon to be filled with purple posies
and birthday wishes
for someone we once knew
season after season
the players may come & go
but the game itself never ends
december two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s become unnoticeable
whatever it is
pinpointing by putting a finger on it
oh no forget it
not gonna happen
the it is an indescribable reality
you face everyday without
knowing what is pushing you
through the eye of the needle
or pulling your leg
or arms or eyes out of their sockets
if only I knew what it was
then maybe just maybe
something could be done about it
december two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I am outside of my body again
taking a test flight & practicing diving
like a gannet in the bay of biscay
come winter the wicked storms
will be the fiercest in recent memory
forcing my eventual return
living below the surface
I manage to experience flashbacks
of a life high above the sea
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
they say it’s time
to roll stones down the hill
and pick up rocks
along the water’s edge
it’s a solitary affair
an out-of-body experience
meant to leave you questioning
what could possibly
come next
you feel the eyes
of the earth & land & sea
watching your every move
including slinging rocks
toward the moon
and rolling stones
up the long lost forgotten hill
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
We invited the prophet for supper
because we were not afraid
The Father told us about Obadiah
about his warnings of destruction
as a consequence of action
Having become students of the living
and of the dead (and especially of those
capable or rising again) naturally we
were anxious in making a connection
Although we possessed many questions
the most obvious rallied around
his postmodern interpretation
to the Day of the Lord
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it looks like the end is near
as if nineteen sixty-one
were alive & well
this time the pigs
have been replaced by bats
[though having gone by the wayside]
replaced by carefully selected letters
from the greek alphabet
too many distractions
from all parts of the world
locking down & opening up
the new flavor of the day
comes in any color except
eggshell white
we’re not allowed to discuss
certain things anymore
elected officials having become
jokers & clowns
publishing numbers by way of tweets
and scaring all the children
who have little time left to live
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the end is near
explosions are only the beginning
the people ran from the enemy within
emptying ten story buildings in a matter
of mere minutes
I swear you were born yesterday
and now you are dying like the rest of us
at some point there is no looking back
there is only the explosions
the earth has died many times before
only to come back more beautiful than ever
like the calm before the storm
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is this reality
that we don’t know about
other than through dreams
and from there
we are left in the dark
inside the matrix
is another form of reality
one we rarely get a glimpse of
maybe by way of a dream
inside of a nightmare
it’s like that window
or that mirror
replicating itself ad infinitum
possessing you without question
taking to all the places
you’ve known throughout
the course of human history
in the meantime
(and for some unknown reason)
this present day reality
remains a necessary evil
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
so what else is new
I heard someone say
talking to nobody in particular
they were on their own
fully armed & marching lazingly
as if in a trance
local reporters ran
with their camera people
out of breath & reaching out
with their absurd microphones
of course nothing was going on here
it’s just an exercise one said
yeah we’re just exercising
others chimed in
rumor has it the boomers
are to blame for why people are dying
to live on the moon
further blurring the difference
between fact & fiction
much like how
parade routes are now advertised
as just another way out
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s not the first time the well
has run dry
but this time it’s different
as if the entire world
is at war with itself
there’s a poetry reading
in czech village tonight
rescheduled from a year ago
when the world had
suddenly stopped turning
word of mouth advertising
is touting it as the place to be
all guns must be checked in at the door
but spirits should be running high
the spigots flowing freely
and all the poets have promised
a new world can be found there
if only your mind will allow it
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve got this new wrist rocket
and have quickly learned
to positively contribute to the growing
amount of space debris
orbiting this colorful planet
the trick I’ve come to learn
is selectively picking
the right size & type of object
ones that can readily break through
the seven layers of the atmosphere
after an afternoon of wreaking
havoc with such worldly adventures
it may take weeks or months or even years
to refuel before locking & loading
the next privately held payloads
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’m trying to break
my extreme fever in an
unorthodox way
plenty of jack & coke
and an occasional bump
from the bat
for days I’ve been saying
“fuck it” like that green beret
in the wedding scene
of “the deer hunter”
tipping his glass
and showing a wry
smile in the end
before the next sunrise
my fever vanishes in thin air
but in order to resume
to my once ordinary life
I’ll have to get a free pass
from the good doctor
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I understand there’s a second moon
orbiting crazily the planet earth
nothing like the luna we’ve come to love & idolize
but more like a rock
one that you hold in your hand
making it either warmer or cooler
throwing away as high & as far as you like
wondering if it will ever come back
november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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