diatomaceous earth
& beet root powder
now that’s an effective
one-two punch
I mix mine with grapefruit
juice—along with a teaspoon
of courage & pinch
of resolution
it’s a quick double shot
a bottoms up if you will
usually followed by a cup of joe
—unadulterated & likely to take
a lifetime to swallow
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Admitting I was a fool
is no big deal
especially while sitting
on a front porch w/a cold one
—occasional waves at familiar
faces & happy tail wags
Smiling outwardly
I mostly reminisce on the inside
secretly admiring
all the impossible hands
I’ve managed to play
—and ultimately lost
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there’s a spider
living in the sunroom
there’s plenty of food
underneath the couch
sometimes
I see it racing to & from
as if it’s either
scared of me
or its own shadow
I don’t see any other
insects
in the house
so it must be doing its job
and as long
as it doesn’t bother me
especially in my sleep
then I’m okay
with it living here rent free
but one false move
I swear
that little dude
is out of here
october two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
where do you begin
once understanding how the end
is always present
there’s nothing to second guess here
since it all happens all at once
objects thrown at you
from all directions
as if you’re a participant inside
a cartoon sketch
or pinball machine
you’re making moves
you never knew you possessed
deflecting deviations
with the palms of your hands
and the bottoms of your feet
and then you find yourself inside
a collective dance
synchronizing new ideas with past lives
as if it’s second nature
october two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve been blessed by the moon
from the very beginning
entering my consciousness
at a very young age
when I thought my thoughts
were implanted there
by the dying satellite
we were supposed to be friends
but remained only acquaintances
all these years
like two brothers born
twelve years apart
as for the blessing
at first I thought it was a curse
until coming to understand
death comes early & often
forever fearless
october two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
What is thrown my way
but dart after dart
their steel tips poisonous
but never deadly
Over the years I count
those making contact
wonder what has become
of those that had missed
Off in the distance
I reflect & replay
the haves & have nots
all shades of consequence
Chasing the setting sun
another chapter closes
finding myself cured
of all self-inflicted wounds
august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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