jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “anxiety”

07 May 2025

Impending


I hear thunder in the distance
it is coming my way

Will the accompanying lightning
strike me down at last

Shall I run or hunker down

As I wait for the storm to arrive
I experience flashbacks of good times & bad

For some reason I believe this time it is it for me

I listen to the drums as they approach
ever closer—they are war drums

I tell myself I am nothing—
an innocent bystander
guilty as charged

As I sit & wait I realize I remain
further & further from the truth
like a single lamb in the countryside


may two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
21 Dec 2024
2 Comments

running scared


I put on my running shoes
and ran

it was sunday morning
but the fog said otherwise

I ran and disappeared into nothingness

later somebody told me I saw you
but then you were gone
as if engulfed by nature
swallowed by low-lying clouds
that had swooped in like a murmuration

I said I didn’t intend to return
but then the sun appeared out of nowhere
burning my eyes

it was then I ran blindly back to where
I had started

but the important thing is you returned
somebody said

yes of course I replied
I felt like I had no other choice
considering how I still appeared to be alive


december two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
17 Sep 2024

his greatest fear


there is much to fear
the master said to the student
sitting cross legged on the mat
arms at his side
palms opened over his lap

the student sat facing the master
his eyes blinking once
as if to say he understood
but the fact remained
his greatest fear was to be loved


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

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
09 Aug 2024

seeking compassion


where did you go
after all the anxiety left
as if your body
left behind
a puddle of confusion

did you take all the suffering
with you
or did you leave it behind
for some unfortunate
soul to find

I’m surprised you hadn’t
already sought your karma
or did you go
a different direction this time
perhaps skyward


august two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
21 Feb 2024
2 Comments

a virtual family meeting


going off the grid
appears to be
the easiest way to escape
all the violence & insanities
surrounding us
—and even then
even then there’s no guarantee
we’d still be alive
in this war-infested world
yet another year





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , ,
05 Feb 2024

Rorschach inkblots


they all looked like monsters
even the cute bat/butterfly creature
who should be hanging
upside down
after a pause I wondered
if they thought that I was the monster
—it was about this time I quickly
visualized my escape route





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
25 Jan 2024

January fog


It’s sixty-thirty
and the deer sauntering down the street
have gotten the dogs agitated
so much so that their anxiety
& their owners’ displeasure
can be heard from the outside

It is winter still
and the night is calm
the air thick from the rising temperatures
giving both the deer & the dogs
the confidence they need
to do as they please





january two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, In the City, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
07 Nov 2023

on a wing & a prayer


I lie in bed with eyelids closed
my mind racing
refusing to dream
—and I tell myself
I need rest
and a clear mind
come six hours from now

the time of day
seems to have escaped me
but I’m sure at least
an hour has passed
my mind still racing
—and I tell myself
if I fall asleep & dream
I may never awaken
abandoning the morning
like a mother dove
abandons her young

though wings I have not
soon I’ll find myself
a passenger
with someone
or something
that does





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

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
06 Jul 2014
8 Comments

nine of spades


he shuffled the deck as quickly
as he talked
telling stories about kings and queens
and barbers in the castle
something about the three jacks
hanging out at the fire station
playing checkers with their pals

pick a card he said
proceeding to ramble on about the
price of milk and gasoline and
disposable razors

did you look at your card he asked

yeah I looked at my card I said

keeping the card face down I
slid it back into the deck
certain he didn’t see it

he shuffled the cards and shuffled
them again and continued to
shuffle the shit out of them
as he went on and on
babbling about how man never
really landed on the moon
how fairy tales used to scare him straight
and how the pope was really lucifer
having the time of his life

he splayed the deck across the table
and I could see my card but it was mostly
covered by the king of hearts

when I looked up he had stopped talking
and was just staring at me
expressionless

what’s wrong I asked him

nothing’s wrong with me he said
but I’d like to know how long
you’re planning on hiding your
misfortune behind the suicide king


july two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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