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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “poem”

10 Jul 2018

as you watch the world expand


do not fall for the trap that is time
for she has never been a foe
but more like a partner in crime

she has erased so many records
that have haunted you along the way
covering up your misdeeds
and replacing them with lies

it’s easy to stop remembering
but impossible to forget
how the morning air flowed effortlessly
as you surrender to a brand new day

there’s a cancer seductively resting
deep inside your entrails
biding its time but perfectly at ease




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

just as you are sure to do


ice gradually melts
and ground begins to thaw
there you rest
not far from the surface
exactly where I left you
shuddering in your sleep

what you can’t see
should certainly scare you
but don’t for a moment
keep the covers over your eyes
lest you miss those self-evident
truths reflecting in the light

oh how you thought
you had massacred every aphid
that had decimated your garden
but they are alive and well
reinventing themselves
just as you are sure to do




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
08 Jul 2018

sunflower


there’s this story I’ve told
ever since running away from home
and for whatever reason
it’s never grown old

oral traditions are alive and
well in so many cultures
but in my small space few listen
leading me to believe
my story will gradually fade

unexpressed emotions remain
buried underground but very much alive
skipping this season and
perhaps the next
one day breaching the surface
when least expected





july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

three thirty in the morning


I awoke from a dream and
asked the good lord
is this all there is for me

how it seems I’ve failed
at giving and forgiving
nurturing and teaching

what does it all mean
this thing called love
inclusive to the fortunate
but elusive to those who need it most

why do they shun it
why do they turn the other way

how the sun shines upon every
living soul
giving power to some
and taking away everything
especially to those
unable to take care of themselves




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

assassinations and suicides


I’ve been lost so many times
it’s a wonder I’m still here
inconsistently running away
only to return to mixed reviews

do not put much faith in open arms
they’re a far cry from open minds
let alone open hearts

I’ve long lost count of shady characters
played on screen and in real-time
stealing my past lives and
replacing them as their own




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

one warm winter’s night


you come to me as a spirit
poking and prodding and
whispering sweet discretions in my ear
but I am fast asleep like a bear hibernating
periodically shivering
but mainly motionless and soundless
secretly enjoying a series of
interconnected dreams
leading me from one kiss to the next




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
04 Jul 2018
3 Comments

born again in america


this life of mine does not belong
to me anymore
having recently been acquired
by some god called freedom
courtesy of another
government-sanctioned auction

I was hoping not to be put back
on the block again
but I have no options now
not since the man who was
supposed to marry me
has mysteriously disappeared

I keep telling people I came here
alone and on my own accord
but truth be told
I was just one of many
and now I find myself praying
everyone else will be born again




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

murmurings of a would-be humanitarian


I didn’t ask for any of this
yet unwittingly contribute to confusion
spoon-feeding the blessed
and ignoring the poor
sleeping through the worst of nights
everyone else running scared
scrambling for air

I was there the night Santa
was a no-show
and all the misfits cried themselves lifeless
suffering from dehydration and
exhaustion and loneliness

for a few dollars a month you could
make a difference
proudly walk manicured streets
well-lit at midnight
a picture or two in your wallet

at corner cafe sitting at table for one
you discuss politics and wars and
supreme court decisions
telling yourself one of these days
you’re going to board a plane
and really do something about it




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

sentinel on patrol


how they come and go
these fleeting romantic thoughts
ebbing and flowing like the moon herself
incoherent like a far away dream
dying to be understood

rocket ships continue to blast
from this world to the next
feet firmly planted near the lion’s gate
preserving ruins of a love
that was always meant to be




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

from this world to the next


I witnessed you entering this world
I myself on my way out the door
undone by assassinations
and conspiracy theories
stories wound tight only to
unravel like some flawed mystery

there is no relation between
you and me or your unwed mother
I just happened to be at the
right place at the right time
having recently discovered my soul
roaming from room to room




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
30 Jun 2018
5 Comments

ripple effect


I last saw you the 5th of May
a date etched on my mind
not a day goes by
I virtually wander the shoreline
kicking up dust and skipping
thoughts once set in stone

it’s evening time but there is no sun
no wind or rain or moon
I walk the trail around the pond
flat blue jewel clenched in my hand
wondering what on earth is
making the water ripple





june two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged ,
29 Jun 2018
4 Comments

two out in the top of the first


I’m standing fuming on the mound
head looking up and cleats kicking dirt
pissing and moaning underneath my breath

coach and catcher are stepping toward me
the former tapping his left forearm
the latter blowing a bazooka joe bubble

they stop a few feet away from earshot
in order to have a fifteen second conversation

cheers and jeers from the raucous crowd
come in loud and clear
and I can only imagine how they hate
to see me go so soon

I’ve been in town for less than a day now
and already I hate this fucking place




june two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Baseball, Poetry and tagged , ,
28 Jun 2018
4 Comments

back pocket


we keep planting seeds not knowing
what if anything will come out of the ground

sometimes we are pleasantly surprised
yet other times we chalk the results
up to luck of the draw

there is nothing charming about bad seeds
but somehow we learn to live with them

every so often I go back to the clinic
to have them tested
and each time they’re slightly different
the good doctor telling me
there is nothing wrong with change

given a clean bill of health
I bring home a new garden spade
hang it unceremoniously on the wall
a packet of wildflower seeds
shoved inside my back pocket




june two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
27 Jun 2018
5 Comments

on becoming a mere memory


how you knew so far in advance
remains a mystery to this day
unless of course you had miraculously
rediscovered your clairvoyance at the
exact time I relinquished my rights
to any sort of extrasensory perception

though unprepared to give up anything
(especially in my formative years)
I transfer all powers I once possessed
(whether real or imaginary) to you




june two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , ,
26 Jun 2018
2 Comments

once outside of the yard I will be forever free


so here I am held in some detention camp
along with every living soul I ever knew
one by one they are called away
until eventually I find myself alone again
selfishly gathering their freshly strewn petals




june two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , ,
25 Jun 2018
2 Comments

wander this world


what is to become of me my love
now that the sun shines anew

tomorrow was meant for dreams
an inheritance of possibilities
unfulfilled by your sudden departure

hesitant to wander this world again
I beg the sun to sink no further
praying your undying love
resurfaces as you once promised




june two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , ,

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