they tried telling me
nobody knows what happens
after the lights go out
making me chuckle
beneath my breath
knowing full well the lights
(as long as they’re not man-made)
can’t possibly ever extinguish
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
late afternoon light
occasionally slipping in
between breezes
competing with floor lamps
an occasional flicker of artificiality
& other LED devices
to say it’s a gray day
isn’t really saying much
I mean isn’t it the light from within
that truly matters most
may two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s seven o’ seven
and everything’s put away
light casting shadows
variable & scattered
depending upon which way
the mind is traveling
adrift & in solitude
I study the old with the new
open palm my writing pad
scribbling & revising
recording familiar voices
changing the world
october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
not everyone can be right so by default
all of us must be wrong
and so by nature we are born imperfect
bound by laws of the land
whether raised by good samaritans
or pack of wolves
leaders come and leaders go
and while few have managed
to make some sort of difference
it is wise to duck and run from the rest
from their abusiveness of the very institutions
having sworn to love and serve
yet there is much light to be found
outside the very door
attempting to keep you in the darkness
indeed it would be a waste
should you chose not open it
october two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the forwardness of the day
and the unpredictability of the night
carries on in perpetual motion
like a universe continually unfolding
sparking the purest electricity
out of the tiniest of matter
april two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the sun rises in the east
and there is no place to escape
time chases me in my sleep
forcing me into places I would
never dare enter otherwise
the sun dangling over my shoulder
I’m reminded I could be facing
something much worse
than my own shadow
the city streets are cold tonight
interminable winds whistling
past streetlights that never dim
october two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I saw the light of the faintest star
settle inside your eyes
blinking to life possibilities from
little known places
when the faintest light cast
indelible marks on the surface
somewhat more meaningful
and magical images evolved
expanding from within
creation doesn’t stop when stars
set in the west
just as dreams never drown in light
and that little child of yours
separated from violent strikes
reaches for your love
ascending
august two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I am drawn to that which is beautiful
like the moth to the light
the pursuit goes on from lifetime
to lifetime
from one century to the next
and yet
there are distinct hesitations
throughout these forward progressions
allowing time to question
whether or not
you have seen these faces before
I saw you just the other day
but I was quite certain you had changed
and though I couldn’t remember your name
you called out mine
as if we were long-lost friends
I looked at you with puzzled eyes
and flashed an awkward smile
an artificial light appearing out of nowhere
telling me it’s time to move on
june two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
lonely preacher on street corner
gathers in unseen souls
wayward and without homes
wandering this earth in silence
they are drawn to his words
spoken plainly and unhesitatingly
giving them reason to break free
from their apocalyptic spells
come one come all and
join the parade he whispers
take my hand and follow me
into the light
a light never before seen
and destined to mend
your broken spirits
september two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
pretending this life-giving light
never once existed is like
accepting neither did I
wandering in the darkness
catlike eyes search for nothing
in particular but hopeful
to find something new
tall trees open up like umbrellas
protecting the ground
from metallic dust showers
turning into cosmic twisters
chased by space cowboys
riding sun-powered horses
life beyond the light is like a twin
searching for her lost soul
relentlessly persevering
january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
on this night of nights a lost
starling sings his lonely song
as a pale moon chases
venus high above the tallest trees
and faint stars transit the unknown
on this night of nights a natural
flame flickers and streams
chain reacting and traveling swiftly
to the four corners of the world
sparked by the cry of the lonely starling
ushering in a brand new light
december two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s so dark I can’t even see my fingers
so cold cannot feel my heart
machines hum along in the white room
giving me fresh air and influencing my dreams
what nobody knows
is when I’ll be home
or when I’ll be able to say
I remember everything
(due to atmospheric disturbances
summer never arrived)
crawling through the rubble
my fingertips make rocks sound like glass
rubbing against themselves like butterfly wings
scratching below the surface
I give inspiration to newly awakened lives
june two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I keep those long-lived regrets
wrapped tight and away from the light
placed in the deep freeze
the furthermost corner of my mind
those days sitting on the cold tiled floor
gluing back together eggshells are no more
replaced by looking around and
seeking light emanating from
every single living thing
relaxed by warm shadows lengthening
from the fading summer’s sun
I imagine things have a way of working out
if we only allow impending events
to unfold as nature intended
from the seed to the stem to the beauty
blossoming from the light of day
we capture alive the fleeting moments
forever freezing them time and time again
march two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I had no idea I crossed over to life
that day you set me free from
centuries of rest
you said I was a sleeping giant
but I only saw myself
as uncharged atoms
floating randomly through darkness
standing at the center of attention
you raised your hands
and opened them upward
towards the sun
delivering unto the gods
the light that was once my life
february two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I awoke violently
as if someone had grabbed my
shoulders and shook me
with all their might
Gasping for breath
as if dying or coming to life
I recall striving to push my imagination
from beneath the surface
out-chasing the nightmare
that is the unborn
Within the darkness
I hushed myself back to sleep
pretending nothing
ever happened to the sun
december two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve seen that tree die before
long after exploding with
shades of every living color
I’ve watched her time and again
come to life by the breath of a
thousand birds
She lives in my heart and
comforts my ailing mind
sharing her knowledge with a
world dying for light
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 