O! god of sea & air
how you lure me to the coast
breathing in your aura
permeating throughout
the here & now
O! it’s not too late
it’s never too late
slowly repairing the damage
inflicted by the excesses
of the city
O! god of sea & air
how your calling teaches me
wave after wave (after wave)
full moon arising
the night forever young
november two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I wasn’t planning on going to the beach
but I was getting ever closer
in the two-door civic
downshifting into second
and coasting into the parking lot
it was a cool day
especially here this time of year
the sun attempting to unlock the clouds
with its skeleton key
I removed my sneakers
and rolled up my blue jeans just below
my knees
hobbled to the sandy trail
that rose and fell into the white sands
lovers of the sea
of all shapes & sizes & ages
scattered up & down
and near & far
there were no swimmers or surfers
just a few waders
walking along the last of the waves
and I proceeded to do the same
the tops of my feet slowly turning blue
reminding me of my age
and the infrequency
of such impulsive adventures
november two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we were relaxing in the future
sitting on the edge of a pier
our legs dangling above the waves
motioning toward us
like clockwork
it reminded us of an ocean
but wondered
what the locals call it
curious whether or not
they name their bodies of water
soon the second sun would rise
october two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I am misplaced like a key
or a glove or a memory
right within plain sight
I’ve always said
I don’t belong here
no matter where I stood
I live near a river
but was promised the sea
and now my mind wanders
adrift in a vessel without a name
there’s always this calling
[call it what you will]
working in the background
occasionally handing out
a hint or a proposition
but mainly observing
like a lighthouse
july two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it is clear to me
the answers are embroiled
between the moon & ocean
impossible waves bearing witness
to what we believe to be true
how many notes
will you stuff inside bottles
castaways with nothing to lose
messages reworked as questions
a collection of uncontrolled vessels
of various size & composition
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
a little snare drum roll
feet tapping & fingers snapping
waiting on the vocalist
to enter center stage
where o’where could she be
all the faceless people
keep asking themselves
where o’where is the lovely
the talented
the beautiful vocalist
their faces slowly dissolve
into a sea of green
little red triangles floating
here & there
as if having no particular
place to go
soon the band of three
becomes two
& eventually only the percussionist
survives the wreckage
he & his little snare drum shaken
but taking requests
as if becoming the focal point
of the evolutionary
underwater show
june two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s getting late
midwinter
the cold more than snow
wearing on me
like the moon
weighs on the ocean
the gods tell me
life is long
but there’ll be no spring
so I accept
the premise
and shift my focus
southern sun sings
lullabies
shushing darkened clouds
transforming
extreme thoughts
into peaceful waves
january two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
she boarded a passenger
train in philadelphia
red paisley scarf
complementing her emerald eyes
and covering her auburn hair
matching bag in left hand
one-way ticket in right
strolling from car to car
she drifted as if on air
pausing occasionally at an
unoccupied window seat
darting her eyes upward
at the silvery new moon
chasing the midday sun
some ninety minutes later
she found herself transported
outside ocean city
lost in a sea of spectators
cheering nearly hysterically
as they slowly become
engulfed in total darkness
july two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
lost in north atlantic amongst winds
and clouds and the darkest of days
I steal glances from my captain’s log
find glimpses of london calling
ship hands from top to bottom believe
those quiet voices beneath the surface
got under his skin and commanded
his ship to sail in a new direction
countless weeks later we finally landed
the fullest of moons guiding us ashore
my captain safely back in london
his men starving to start a new life
december two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you started out as an idea
and developed beyond creation
abandoning the seed
you thrived in and out of water
sailing beyond mountains and
conquering various realities
you are a like a tumultuous
space rock hell-bent on
reckless behavior and aspiring
to start whole new worlds
you started out as an idea
and evolved into yet another
intelligent species
april two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
they sailed along silver waves
in search of higher lands
the maps in their hands
aligned with ancient stars
that never shined so bright
under the bridge women rocked
stitching winter clothing
the children praying
for a higher power
to free them from their plight
as years turned into decades
mountains slowly emerged
caverns like beacons
calling forth their vessels
to dock within the light
september two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
imagine marine-like monsters
inhabiting the darkest of waters
their bodies shaped simply
their fins rudimentary yet powerful
propelling themselves instantly
jetting at reckless speeds
and abruptly halting to a standstill
they are neither here nor there
and represent a constant terror
to those who slip into their world
their world is an antithesis
to the dreams we fabricate
and even in the wildest of our
fascination we realize their depths
are unreachable
their darkness too deep to see
even a flicker of light
leaving us unable to conjure hope
or understand the underworld
unless we sell our soul
and give in to the other side
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
adrift on a raft
with no land in sight
you lie back
and make friends
with a setting sun
lost in dreams
the bulging moon
wrecks havoc
on brainwaves
regenerating
distant stars
seek rolling waves
tossing you
into a whirlpool
of endless light
march two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the flight across endless waves
remains forever lost
the passengers abandoning time
in a downward spiral
their minds suspended
in horrifically incoherent thoughts
as an oceanic escape hatch welcomes
their translucent deliverance
into an alien world
march two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sitting cross-legged on the floor
my mind shut the door
and i was left alone
in the dark
with a candle and a match
i closed my eyes and focused
on a fire burning in the belly
of a giant fish that swallowed me whole
delivering me to unfathomable depths
where indescribable creatures
ruled an invisible world
as ocean waves crashed on top of me
the door violently swung open
and the room became drenched
with natural light
my hand still holding
the unlit match
the candle
nowhere to be found
january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we dove into the waters
and found a way
to not only survive
but thrive
without the usual oxygen
we once took for granted
january two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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