jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters

03 Nov 2021

knockoffs & supernatural forces


the merchant of deceit
bootlegging forty-fives of maria maria
& smooth & put your lights on
right there on the information superhighway
accepting any kind of coin without recourse

there is lawlessness on the proverbial streets
whether real or virtually above or underground
vendors of any kind on every corner
participating in the so-called great steal

the music is universally accepted
speaking to all of us freely in any language
priceless and without prejudice
we participate in the pageantry of it all
plugging the meter whenever necessary





november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
02 Nov 2021
4 Comments

the law of my beating heart


my heart was water
like a single solitary pond
alone in a field
surrounded by wildflowers
a man-made pump
somewhat in the middle
keeping the circulation going

there once was a trail
starting from the roadside
a circular route
to the center of my heart
beaten down by foot
eventually replaced by
mechanisms purely natural



november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , ,
01 Nov 2021

navigating through the greatest distraction


there’s little left to understand
now that the clocks
have been set back
sixty something to be concise
commanded by the powers that be

a mass withdrawal from the present
has long been underway
groups divided between
(among varying degrees) retreating
and moving forward
not a one of them staying put

some say the underground
is the place to be
where planning is improvised
and tunneling toward the core
is the greatest distraction
there is on earth





november two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
31 Oct 2021

The art of disturbing the peace


The world has never been
a safe place
not in 1969 or the roaring nineties
whether in Sandwich Illinois
or half a world away

Past revolutions & world wars
at times take a back seat
to today’s atrocities
perpetuated by lone wolves
or governments (seemingly)
legitimate or otherwise

As the writer Baldwin
once eloquently illustrated
security is but an illusion
created by society
uniquely necessary
for reasons inexplicable





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
30 Oct 2021
4 Comments

the last of the october wind


listen for the last of the october wind
due to arrive before the very first bird
sings her farewell song

what the wind ushers in weighs heavy
on your melancholic thoughts
a strange sadness knowing
that the end is near

when the cold sharp blasts
come roaring south by southwest
an orange sky will slowly appear
swallowing the thin cirrus clouds
and leaving you hopeful
that this is how it will forever be





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
29 Oct 2021

the onion


what’s brewing
has been brewed before
bound to be found
(hiding inside google)
by wannabe historians

but never mind
what you might find
anything anymore is likely
to be contested
whether the holocaust
or the crucifixion
or your very own rebirth

try not to focus too much
on yourself (which is)
likely to be detrimental
to your mental health
instead find a patch of dirt
where you can dig & dig & dig
to your heart’s content





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in History, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
28 Oct 2021

time of the season


there is a time to play
and a time for prayer
the forgiveness of the day
     quickly vanishing
history books laced with hypocrisy
theoretically evolving
from one generation to the next

extremes seem to be
the flavor of the day
whether for fun or destruction
     food for thought
wrapped in body art or hatred
ideological musings
rallying for peace or executions





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in History, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
27 Oct 2021

the alpha & the omega


it wasn’t skin tight
like it was supposed to be
not sure anymore who it is
that’s been dressing me

I came in on the whiskey-whiskey
a nighttime landing in the bay
not too far off the coast
near the needle in the sky

it’s not like I haven’t been here before
though it seemed like the first time

we lost our captain
halfway through the journey
and kept telling ourselves
she wouldn’t be the first nor the last

it’s a wonder how we walked on water
all the way to pocket beach
leaderless but determined
to make a life there





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Aliens, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
26 Oct 2021

when something needs fixing


there is sadness in the water droplets
dripping from the wind chime & into
a silver bucket half full of dirt

someone is already dead
buried in the blurry past
misremembered for bad deeds
& false accusations

the dog & cat ran away from home
uncertain if in concert or on their own
leaving behind bells & bones
& broken memories





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
25 Oct 2021

the deception of side view mirrors


I forget exactly what year it was
maybe a decade ago
how I thought things were finally
falling into place
but of course that didn’t last long
& once again I was back on the road
called ‘challenger avenue’
the one that changes
each & every time you set foot on it

it’s been a quarter-life since I saw you
probably a miracle
if I ever run into you again
especially after
learning you’ve abandoned
the road less traveled
in favor of expressways
congested with godforsaken faces





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
24 Oct 2021

on attaining a higher level


I am virtual reality standing on a ledge
waiting for the right time to plunge
into the great unknown

yes it’s dark here but there are many
shades of light to attach yourself to
it’s just a matter of adjusting your vision
before leaping into the next dimension

some say death is the ultimate virtual reality
but I say we won’t know for sure
until we get there

yet in the meantime there are plenty
of games yet to be played on a level
continuously seeking higher ground





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry | Leave a comment
23 Oct 2021

test pilot


I’ve got this idea
there’s no such thing as life
that there are only snippets
of time you stuff inside your pockets
and then one day
you lay them all out
like a general inside a map room
using a conductor’s baton
to point here & to point there
& before you know it
the war is over





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , | Leave a comment
22 Oct 2021
3 Comments

clouds as white as elmer’s glue


it’s october again
we start talking about pumpkins
and apple orchards

two miles from the highway
gravel road
sure to make an impact

on this life & the next
a sort of roadmap
linking the planet earth

to some place
we’ve not yet visited
a remote fortress if you will

far from all the madness
happening inside a spinning top
colored ocean-blue & elmer’s glue





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
21 Oct 2021

making do with new used


it’s easy to get things started
when you got nothing to lose
when the better of you
checked out years ago
the new you
still trying to attain an identity

retooling versus relearning
is the way to go
introducing new skill sets
crafting brand new lies from
fact & fiction
sprinkling in a gram of truth

what I wouldn’t give
to simply be myself again
uncloaked from mystery
dying to obtain a flare
for the post dramatic
for no particular reason





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
20 Oct 2021
5 Comments

waiting on an omen


someone tried telling me
there are no good or bad omens
that there are only omens

in retrospect people
are inclined to say
they should have seen it coming
as if they’re a modern day prophet
or simply clairvoyant

on the patio at the corner bistro
three angels vape & discuss
the complexities of current times

most pedestrians walk by
not noticing
or disregarding their wings
            but I don’t
I stop & take a seat at the bar
waiting to be waited on





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
19 Oct 2021

a million miles away


do not believe for a moment
that your mind is a fixed object
streaking through the night sky
like a comet
coming & going at its leisure
changing speed
altering its demeanor
constantly recalculating its pathway

do not believe for a moment
I do not notice you
attempting to hide
in a corner pocket
a place you once felt safe
& assumed I’d never find you
neither at this very moment
nor a million years from yesterday




october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment

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