in the valley
rare earth elements
remain untouched
—sacrificial lambs
like a flock of ghosts
roaming the countryside
shepherdless
& blindly
sidestepping
the next catastrophe
march two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we went from one place to the next
as if in a scavenger hunt
without a list in hand to check off
and wherever we went
strangers seemed to give us things
as if we were trick or treaters
our faces on the outside
apparently looking trustworthy
before hauling ass out of town
we switched out the license plates
on the sixty-nine camaro
put the top down
and took an alternative route
back to mississippi
september two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
man’s inventions
handed down by the gods
original sin having nothing to do
with mother nature
as a child seems to make sense
but when facing danger
is meaningless
I submit to the reality of the day
the eventual decline of
natural resources
exploited & consumed voraciously
in order to selfishly live out
your remaining days
inside a brand new world
march two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there’s a revolution brewing
and it’s going to be loud
and dangerous and downright
unintellectual for so many
old women stand in long lines
buying magazines for their men
while inside dogs stay huddled
behind yet intact furniture
unrecruited men and boys
hide behind alleyways
reading the latest reports
from handheld devices
a voice from the loudspeaker
claiming to be the answer
promises free tickets to paradise
and chocolate for everyone
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
caught on thin ice
i suddenly became lost
like a runaway kite
my cheeks busting
eyes leery yet fearless
of the insane cracks
daring my bladed soles
to never stop flying
july two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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