should I try to rhyme
or stay on the sidelines
my petty thoughts
reminding me of many faults
as a child or teen
or burgeoning adult
how time seems not to count
[in the grand scheme of things]
passing by on land or sea
or by way of angel wings
carrying me to places
I’ve been meaning to see
such as the wilds of timbuktu
or the colors of xanadu
december two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
at the bottom of the résumé
included the applicant’s hobbies
one of which was aspiring mystic
I cocked my head
and went back to the beginning
questioning my own judgment
—all of the mistakes made
my secret sins
the killing of so many possibilities
past & present
& future
how wrong could I have been
passing by on this piece of paper
as if it was as dead as those sea scrolls
(only to be revived)
as if once passing onto my desk
was most certainly destined for the fire
like a witch exposed
like a bird made out of clay
january two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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