new moon held in cupped hands
like a wounded fledgling
feeling powerless
yet slowly warming
to this idea of finally flying free
trusting the process is not easy
for anything grounded
nevertheless you uncup
your trembling hands
observing the sky in a new light
november two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
what’s not said holds
more meaning
than any spoken word made in haste
how many times have you heard
it’s not what you said
but the way in which you said it
and what about those thoughts
left unsaid
do you know how they simply
go by the wayside
like acts of contrition
performed in private
it shouldn’t have to come to this
afraid to speak for fear
the moon will never weep again
afraid to sleep
for fear the sun may never rise
november two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there was a time I thought I wasn’t going anywhere
even when traveling across the country
searching for a better place
the good news is pretty red roses always stay pretty
even after morning dew turns to frost
november days fading fast
passion and introspection complement the dying
their mystery moon burning bright
unnoticed by the living
november two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
starting the kiln
pottery pieces are well-prepared
for animation
after sitting on shelf
defying limitations
potters’ hands
age-old but consistently steady
creating in solitude
rhythmically firing
on all cylinders
stoking the coals
it’s okay to burn your hands
but not your soul
breathing new life
into ancient designs
cycles come and go
whether you’re dead or alive
but as for the potter
she will always win
no matter the season
november two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
each poem written is but a test
or a testament to life on earth
a mystery and a gift
beholden to one’s own beatitude
I told myself I would never be lonely
but here I am writing poetry
coming to terms with what
I may or may not believe
anything is possible I keep
telling myself
determined to declutter
my house of cards
all the while deleting
every unnecessary word
november two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is this word on my mind
hanging like a colorful leaf on a branch
a few inches out of reach
by the time morning arrives
it is no longer dangling
rather part of a collective whole
mixed with all the others
strewn across the lawn
for a moment I ponder the importance
of getting down on hands and knees
uncovering the very word
etched on my mind
holding it up to my eyes
like the holiest of grails
and memorizing its every detail
november two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the air went in
and the air went out
like some sort of machine
designed to last a lifetime
some machines work better
than others
but not all come with a warranty
(and sometimes you get
what you pay for)
be careful about opening
passageways all at once
sometimes the inflow
is too much to handle
causing swelling that may
require extracurricular attention
it’s best to slowly turn the spigot
one way or the other
experimenting with currents
(whether fluid or electric)
until finding that perfect medium
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
they come and they go
these goblins from the past
posing as trick or treaters
and tearing up the neighborhood
one night out of three sixty-five
they claw at the earth
levitate off the ground
or fly from tree to tree
searching for shells
they abandoned long ago
once I pursued them
believing they weren’t real
taking me to a mirrorless pond
far from my home
and there I sat at the water’s edge
motionless till dawn
witnessing their blazing departure
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
something fresh on my mind
recent like autumn rain
tugging at my inner thoughts
speeding down route sixty-nine
southbound past quapaw
gracie’s reclined in back seat
strumming her ukelele
singing arlo guthrie songs
her long brown hair in
constant state of flux
oklahoma welcomes you
I kept repeating to myself
reassuring gracie
there’s no need to worry
for soon we’ll be in miami
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there’s not much time left
my love
to make the world
our very own again
stampedes have come
and gone
leaving behind pieces of china
all over this promising place
while so many
crawl on their hands and knees
gathering past lives
that can’t possibly
be put back together
I grab hold of your hand
and slowly we pull away
tiptoeing past land mines
ultimately racing
directly into a rising sun
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
when I get to the moon
I’m gonna put on my red shoes
converse all stars to be sure
complete with blue and yellow laces
when I get to the moon
I’m gonna skip and jump and holler
picking up rocks while doing
cartwheels and somersaults
won’t you come with me
oh won’t you come with me
to the moon and maybe back
we can walk hand in hand
skipping and jumping and hollering
sporting red converse all stars
complete with blue and yellow laces
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there was a time
I’d pound those keys
morning noon and night
making music in my sleep
hoping one day they’d be
translated into poetry
they kept telling me
people love you
and of course
I believed them
like morning dew
believes in rising sun
piano in bay window
hasn’t been played
since god knows when
sparrows still perching
on old crabapple
remembering
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’m not allowed to let you in
or so my mother said
but I opened the door nonetheless
gave you the nickel tour
You didn’t know what to think
how everything’s in its place
especially when explaining
we weren’t allowed
to keep closet doors opened
In my mind
we weren’t much different
especially on the field
but after the rains came and went
I found myself wondering
why you’d never invite me
to your mother’s house
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we live in interesting times
artificial intelligence
replacing original thought
bits and pieces of plastic
entering the food chain
giving new meaning to
garbage in garbage out
man may lose interest
once machines take over
3D designers replacing
likes of archimedes and einstein
shakespeare and da vinci
historical asterisks
sinking in a sea of change
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
how the moon motivates me
wakes me when she rises
whispering in my ear
promising the world in exchange
for my undying devotion
hours before the cock crows
I find myself mechanically
walking city streets
dodging occasional headlamps
wondering where you are
weatherman proved wrong again
about mostly starry skies
your whispers reassuring
affirming you are nearer
than my eyes could ever see
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
in the darkroom
he could see independently
gradually bringing the past into focus
how those snippets near and far
are but a mirror for the soul
artistically developed
rinsed with a touch of reality
and hung under safelights
it was easy letting go
once able to stand on his own
composite prints defining himself
one eye-opening exposure at a time
october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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