love is in the air
disguised as
manufactured clouds
billowing out of
corn sweetener smokestacks
rising above half-frozen river
quietly perched atop
flood water retaining wall
cupid draws back his bow
eyes purposely piercing
lonely hearts drifting
like pies in the sky
february two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
shadows are my friends and they
visit me often when least expected
whether I’m elated or tearful
or simply content with melancholy
rarely they bring me flowers but
when they do they are black and white
roses or begonias or pink petunias
since they know what I like
sometimes they tell me it’s okay to
change my name if need be
but I pretend not to listen and smile
turning ordinary thoughts into bouquets
it’s like a game this thing called love
suddenly evolving into something
that never existed yesterday
like a sunflower seed with promise
august two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
open the windows and let cold air in
infiltrating your comfort zone and chilling
your most heated and desperate thoughts
I know not what raises your condition
bringing your ideas to simmering boil
followed by mind-numbing afterburn
I’ve spotted your face in the passing clouds
sliver of a silver moon peek-a-booing
songbirds praising your inner beauty
although impossible to keep you close
I’ve kept your photographs frozen in my mind
turning them into moving pictures
this cold air is bound to heat up again
meanwhile I huddle inside heavy blankets
waiting for winter solstice to show
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
be still thy heart and think of me
whenever summer breeze
brushes up against your face
long and weary are road and sky
going solo in search of love
virtual destinations unknown
time sits motionless inside looking glass
like magical portal to new worlds
casting lasting impressions
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the town is vacant
abandoned by war
can you feel me
trembling with fear
the moon is afire
and the field is aglow
can you see me
chasing the wind
the bridge is out
and the river is frozen
can you hear me
calling your name
the border is near
attracting me closer
your arms reach out
unbelievably we embrace
december two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it seems like everyone is hell bent on
picking a fight
but by everyone I don’t mean you or me
sometimes I want you to make me think
and other times I don’t
I’m not sure which is worse
pretending the white elephant
isn’t actually pink
or acknowledging all is fair
in lust and taxation
I didn’t come here looking
for a fight
and neither did you
so I keep on convincing myself
that’s what keeps us separated
from whatever it is
that’s hurting
november two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is just the one god
there shall be none of this
three-in-one nonsense
or some other silly notion
for without truly believing in the one
man will never love his brother
what he loves for himself
while loving thy neighbor
(as thyself)
remains the most daunting proposition
(ever put to the test)
for well over two thousand years
august two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I will find you in the corner of my mind
where wildflowers replaced minefields
deactivated by protectors of the peace
I will find you living amongst the dead
melding within the countryside
free from worry and
greeting each morning with open arms
I will find you like a promise finds a keeper
like a satellite finds her signal
like a caterpillar finds new life
august two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
winds of change remain the same
although uncertain futures often
bear the best fruit
half a world away pacified oceans
symbolize endless opportunities
for lasting peace
much like the butterfly
there are no boundaries as long
as there is wind to sail
and the wind
oh the wind
breathes forth new life
exhaling a new kind of love
never before seen
july two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
think of me
when the skies in your dream
break free from dusk
dream of me
when you roll over and discover
your softer side
think of me
as if I was still a young man
running after you
remember me
chasing you in your dreams
toward the light of day
july two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
nobody’s tending the fire
it’s just burning on its own
neither controlled nor uncontrolled
emitting a stench of indifference
massacres and coup attempts
repeat like the rising of the sun
highlighting headlines on
doorsteps as death tolls escalate
and accumulate
meanwhile the fire burns
fueled by arms deals between
friends and foes
stoked by power struggles and
brokered by corrupt politicians
enabling strategic corporations
social consciousness bombards
wireless outlets with outrage
pumping up clouds until they burst
pamphlets of love falling
like rain across a world on fire
july two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
by Morgan M Byers & J Matthew Waters
It’s the way you must be feeling
guarded and shielded
my love unable to reach you
How I hate to be broken
the one who has loved you
since the beginning of time
I am willing to be patient
standing outside your heart
waiting for you to accept me
Standing along your shore
I watch how the rest of the world
reaches out to touch you
Pretending not to hurt
I patiently wait for permission
to give you the love you deserve
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
