autumn came & went hastily
chasing shadow-like ghosts
into the night
retreating into the dead of winter
once underground
the air became tolerable
inner workings quietly expanding
like a spiderweb in the rafters
the first signs of spring
would arrive later than usual
the missiles & the drones
silencing bird calls
canceling once promising rains
january two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
how many times
had it been bombed & rebuilt
—what was so special
about this place
that even their ghosts
[time & again]
would rise to the occasion
refusing to be launched
like a rocket into the sky
well beyond the ether
october two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the moment you start looking back
and analyzing every misstep
chances are you are not where
you want to be
and all the hopeless wishing in the world
will leave you even more wretched
consider the beauty of the butterfly
and ask yourself if your life isn’t worth
just as much
and maybe then you will understand
moving forward is the only option
with or without a migration map
june two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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