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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “poem”

26 Jul 2018
7 Comments

where trumpets blare and angels sing


illusory winds swept me northwesterly
carrying me from one destination to the next
as if I had no idea where I would land
or how I could have possibly arrived there

gravity eluded me and I wondered
whether I was dead or alive
had I mysteriously grown my own wings
soaring on my own accord
or was I hitched to the back of some
wild and magical invisible creature

approaching the magnetic pole
flight patterns give way to controlled chaos
disappearing into mystical aurora
casting me back to where I once started




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
25 Jul 2018
2 Comments

the night is endless


the day grows weary
unrelenting heat
southern winds
falling sun illuminating
quarter-size moon
rising from the east

fearful to fall asleep
morning sun comes too soon
or maybe not all
incomplete images
shuttering and fluttering
like black and white
moving pictures

I keep the shades drawn
nearly all the way
save an inch or two
just enough room
to let the rooster look in

the night is endless
this much we know
instinctively we cling
to the morning light
and celebrate
for all it’s worth




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
24 Jul 2018
2 Comments

mirror for the sun


widening curves and picking up speed
mind free from yesterday’s rearview
reminds me of day trippin’ ditty
traveling purposely with favorite allies
bags packed but mindlessly left behind

we’ve not been down this road before
but how she sure looks oh so familiar
holding tight as we lean around the bend
keeping screams to ourselves before
letting loose down straight and narrow

fm radio streaming without static
cooler in back keeping coronas cold
we chase a sideways moon sinking into sea
determined to find the end of the road
and drive a stake into a brand new day




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
23 Jul 2018

submarine missile launch


I’ve got these ideas emerging out of
clear blue skies
only to submerge into a sea of self-doubt
never to resurface again

I miss those cumulus clouds feeding
my imagination with
elephants and dragons and banana splits
earthworms and day lilies and rainbow trout
little miss muffet seated at mushroom table
sharing crumpets and tea with
black widow spider

somehow I’ve learned to live
underwater with these man-made lungs
working on new ways to rewrite the past
and making myself new again




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
22 Jul 2018
2 Comments

summer suite in downtown hilton


beneath the marquee we kissed until the crowds
dispersed and lights blinked on and off
quarter moon high above but unseen

we walked hand in hand in early morning hours
unfamiliar streets shiny and wet
counting blue cars along the way
sharing dreams and making promises
that may or may not be challenged

come daybreak we quietly settle down
high above in eagle’s aerie
well fed and resting in momentary embrace




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged ,
21 Jul 2018

small miracles


cemetery trees understand you more than
any mind reader ever possibly could

we canceled our vacation plans and instead
spent the weekend planting evergreens

chapel in the field is lit by candlelight
little women on their knees counting beads

I remember this place from once upon a time
and something tells me so should you




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
20 Jul 2018
6 Comments

Temporary memories


I’ve lost my way in search of truth
whether it be fact or fiction
questioning whether accepting more
correlates to receiving less

As years pass my heart swells
and my eyesight worsens
both troubled by the sign of the times

I’m reluctant to concede to pressure
managing to infiltrate my downtime
whether it be deep in sleep
or quiet contemplation

In the morning I find comfort
anticipating the rising of the sun
whether apparent or behind clouds




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , ,
19 Jul 2018
2 Comments

bringing clarity to your desires


despite desiring discipline in your world
you subconsciously remain unfocused
channeling your passion toward the unknown
and rubbing shoulders with forces not seen

old souls sidestepping in the shadows
just as lonely and desperate as the living
serenading their favorite verses a cappella
barely audible through plastered walls

well past midnight you are restlessly asleep
contemplating many intriguing options
playing them out in your so-called dreams
operating with full force your physical being




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , ,
18 Jul 2018

“Miss You”


out of the gate he broke a guitar string
but he kept on playing as if
nothing happened
rest of the band maybe noticing
maybe not
rhythm section cool as could be
never missing a beat

it was a guest appearance
covering a Rolling Stones song
on and off stage in a mere six minutes
and he kept shredding that Fender
E string gyrating crazily
as if it was an orchestrated
part of the show




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
17 Jul 2018
3 Comments

summer of sixty-nine


so we were roaming out back at twilight
swigging orangeade and
swatting fireflies into oblivion with the
palms of our hands

someone from the inside yells
‘you leave them insects alone’
and we said
‘damn your eyes’
they got no place else to go

out in the open field
children run half naked
fearing for their lives
pretending to be fireflies
steering clear of predators
holding mason jars high




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
16 Jul 2018
2 Comments

candles burning


I’ve been locked away for days
recovering from nerve blocks
and a brief episode of the blues

seems I’ve been giving of myself
blindingly and with regularity
not taking into consideration
what’s right with the world

repeated jabs to the gut have a
way of wearing down shadowboxers
not conditioned to go twelve rounds

midnight has long come and gone
and now I find myself (once again)
right back where I started
relighting the dark side of the moon




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
15 Jul 2018

Amnesia


I’ve been living these past few years
under the influence of previously lived lives
reminding me how I am never alone

Inspiration is drawn from many sources
depending upon what century or era
you found yourself most struggling
not understanding exactly who or what
picked you up when you were down
or how you had survived that fiery crash

But here you are once again alive and well
learning from past mistakes and living
your new life ever so precariously




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
14 Jul 2018

out on work release


I had this vision I would bring
cold beers to prison workers
paving county roads
temperatures exceeding
one hundred degrees fahrenheit
bright orange shirts drenched in sweat

I had parked in the shade half an hour
before quitting time
kept the pickup idling with the AC on
beers in the truck bed
iced down in the big red cooler
ballgame streaming on AM radio




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
13 Jul 2018
5 Comments

mapping a new course


it’s early but I’ve got all night
pretending there are words
to stitch tight and scars to retrace
for no other reason than to pass time

time is a killer and has always been
especially to those preoccupied
studying mirrors expecting to find
openings through impassable roads

so many roads we’ve traveled alone
but I swear this one will be different
far-reaching and beautifully winding
leading us forward without precaution




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
12 Jul 2018

after the saturday morning rains


in the morning church bells will be ringing
and ambulances will be screaming
those dying search for a higher purpose
finding themselves on their knees
praying man and bride complete the
transformation by becoming one

universe changes at a pace
incomprehensible to the human brain
traveling at the speed of light when
shut down for the night
only to awaken in quicksand
convinced there is no way out

outside the double doors an odyssey
awaits your arrival and departure
cautiously you step out into the open
casting your eyes directly overhead
spiraling steeple pointing to a place
you understand more than you know




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dogma, Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
11 Jul 2018
2 Comments

the world as they know it


reflections bounce off anything they
can get their hands on
such as inner-city skyscrapers or
twenty-story tall christmas trees
leading you to believe they could be
just about anything
like below-the-radar superheroes or
earthbound souls in search of love

a windy night pushes a fuzzy moon
out into the open
all the little sleepwalkers looking skyward
pointing past the stars
their eyes and mouths wide open

they’ve not seen anything like this before
the ancient dome dropping upon them
they reach out in acceptance
as if trying to catch a baby
falling from a burning building
the world as they know it
collapsing upon them




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged ,

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