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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “forgiveness”

06 Jun 2022
7 Comments

closing in on separation


“To forgive is to set a prisoner free
only to discover that the prisoner was you.”
                                          —Lewis B. Smedes

holding on to anger is easy but unhealthy
being able to forgive is the opposite
—on both counts

this is a poem for you
whoever you may be
holding onto something dangerous
whether you know it or not

it’s nothing to be apologetic about
that is being human
but it’s something when unable
to comprehend
there’s a greater reality
residing inside a soul





june two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
10 May 2022
2 Comments

at the end of the drought


the act of attrition
not quite the same thing
a personal sort of process
when left talking
to yourself

it’s been as many years
as there are
days in the week
since my last obituary
ghostwritten of course
and predated
elsewhere in the clouds

I like to hang out there
when I’m at my lowest
knowing it’s a mere matter of time
before I fall down like rain
hours upon end





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

Posted in Dogma, Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
13 Mar 2022

a frail grudge


instead of pushing a button
I snail mail a handwritten note
saying please call me

of course I signed my name
in an unfriendly kind of cursive
sure to trigger an emotion

a few days pass by
& by then I’d forgotten that you’d
forgotten how to forgive





march two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
02 Mar 2018
11 Comments

new year’s resolution


to counter sadness with happiness
remove mascara stain from davenport
replace shower curtain

weed the garden but cultivate select few
for they too live to bloom

repair broken bird houses
seek to find words for things left unsaid
have the chimney stack swept

walk an extra mile or two
fill the flat tires with air
locate a few long lost friends

and last but not least
find a way to forgive yourself





march two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
21 Oct 2017
8 Comments

alien illuminations


I’m finished seeking forgiveness
will instead focus on
the power of forgiving others
before it’s too late

there is this illumination
glowing within the soul
needing to burst out
and chart a brand new course

solitude is much different
than loneliness
whether lost at sea or
mapping brand new constellations

though familiar with connecting dots
these stars shine differently
leaving you strangely amazed
now that you are finally free





october two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
24 Sep 2017
5 Comments

forgiveness


we snuck inside farmer moses’
pumpkin patch one early sunday morning
october moon hanging out
at about nine o’clock

we knew we had to be quiet
but it was the place to be
and between the three of us
there was a half-pack of camels
and a case of colt 45

the girls said they’d meet us there
right around midnight
but they never did show for reasons
we would never know

morning sun does rise
as do farmer moses & his boys
pursuing instincts with rifles in hands
zeroing in on blacked out trespassers



september two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
27 Sep 2012
6 Comments

apology


move past the apology
and to a world where
it’s okay to let loose
and move on

time has a way of untying
most stubborn knots
freeing the soul from
undue weight

nothing is ever forgotten
but simply evolves
into memories
still alive



september two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,

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