you can learn so much
reading poetry—
things like patience
& perseverance come to mind
how you must pause & think
after certain lines
but only after consuming
all of them first
my mother was one
of the most voracious readers
of fiction I’ve ever known
—I remember her saying
poetry was not her cup of tea
but I suspect in reality
her speedreading mindset
simply got in the way
october two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sad woman
coming in out the rain
sheds a tear for no one
down in nashville town
the rain washes clean
her mind at ease
a patient heart considers
every little thing
we all remember
how it used to be
early morning prayers
pleading for fairness
so many faces
up & down music row
mostly quiet anymore
like a lonely avenue
and so the rain
returns another day
sad woman
learning how not to cry
december two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
he reminded me of bukowski
or lebowski
I can’t remember which
disheveled & maybe talking to himself
but there he was waltzing
through the aisles in his bathrobe
or batman cape
or some such in-or-out-of-fashion thing
dangling a loaf of wonderbread
holding onto a few precious items
somehow he snuck in first
at the wine & spirits checkout
me with my twelve pack
& he with his precious selections
(plus two bags of ice in the minicart)
annoyingly amusing with all that
fumbling for payment options
& mumbling via chit chat about local
sports & the art of social distancing
numerous times checking front left
& back right pockets
the hair on his chinny chin chin
growing grayer by the second
august two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
from wall street to respirator
you are shockingly put out to pasture
sharing grass with retired pacers
and a flock of salt & pepper sheep
the main field is flat and wide open
the southern stretch uneven and rising steep
a rock & dirt trail meandering upward
an occasional bench located along the way
learning to commingle and rehabilitate
you stretch & imagine your ascension
only to pause at the final station
questioning the desire to go any higher
march two thousand twenty
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all rights reserved
the bridge is out
but the river is frozen
all the horses
are well fed and rested
time has always
been of the essence
but patience
supersedes ambition
and trumps all other cards
coincidentally
supermoon rises
high above the valley
spotlighting a people
determined to return
back to the beginning
february two thousand nineteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
thirty-one days have passed
and I’m prepared to breach the surface
having survived my stay with the living dead
who turned out to be quite charming
programmed to reach for stars
atop my toes I stretch my arms high above
palms open and eyes tightly shut
imploring the gods to answer my calls
expectations can be a bitch (I am told)
especially when living in a fantasy world
so I relax my mind and sit cross legged
repeating patience is more than virtuous
march two thousand eighteen
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
amid dark winter nights
I lay out glorious plans
to conquer the seed
the wind and the rain
the whiteness of the world
inspires me to envision
perfect days where irises
bloom under moonlight
sacred revolutions seem
as remote as paradise
testing my patience
from far away places
january two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
You can’t force it
she said.
It was then I realized
I kept making decisions
without thinking
what might happen
to my beautiful Queen.
Lost and searching
for something magical
to capture my eye
I slowly realized
my quest for patience
was nothing more
than an elusive wish.
february, two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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