she wished upon a star
so many years ago
sitting on the front porch step
I don’t even remember
if she knew I was there
she spotted them falling
one after the other
and was certain she caught
the first very one
and I wondered
what she had wished for
across the way
a street lamp flickered on
and I waltzed home in the twilight
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
don’t be afraid
there is nothing wrong
now that the light is gone
now that the pain
once permanent like the
morning sun
has transitioned into
a vague sensation
I didn’t mean to scare you
but you had fallen
into an endless dream
inching in the void
searching for candles
whispering to yourself
what wickedness
takes away such power
alas it was not meant to be
the irises in your eyes
plucked away
by the angels of the sky
taking you further
and further away
promising their beauty
will last forever
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it seems like the month of may again
let’s have a parade
lay down your arms
and raise the white flag
for the prince is born this day
embrace these times of peace
and promise to never let go
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is privacy in certain thoughts
the ones that seldom escape
meant to be shared only with those
who have long ago moved on
street lamps shine on cobbled stones
the ones discovered beneath streets
crumbled by time and coming to life
sprouting the prettiest of flowers
evening fades to children chasing
fireflies moving in distinct directions
fleeting moments shortly relived
perhaps released to the heavens
sometimes I nudge them begrudgingly
those innermost secretive thoughts
letting them know I am still alive
and protecting them the best I can
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the engines shut down and the glider
sailed silently below the clouds
discovering neither sun nor moon
careening stealthily over rocky land
she forged into the forgotten bay
low beams highlighting misty air
blending in like alien decoys
her belly rocked on comforting tides
expecting the mothership none too soon
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
in the dream I am running further
and further away from my home
fully aware that whatever
is on my tail is no longer
I awaken on sunday morning
in my downtown office
dressed in shorts and a tie
swearing to myself
the air smells like a lie
a close friend I had yet to meet
stares into a personal device
telling me to walk this way
and I follow like a man in a trance
at six sixty-six in the morning
the streets are crowded with faces
staring inside their own hands
mindlessly ringing up stores sales
while the lights on every bank
on every street corner go dark
this is all impossible I say to myself
and as I start my long trek home
I’m confronted by an old pair
of nicely dressed nutcrackers
informing me there is no way out
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there are many moons circling
my next destination
or so I’ve been told
by the voice inside my head
it’s like a carnival game down there
grenade launcher in hand
pockmarking the moons
one by one
expecting a prize at the end
there is no dark matter
in this place
yet there are plenty of stars
pulsating beyond the many moons
and when the tide is right
I promise to relay you
postcards from there
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sometimes it seems everybody
wants to be somebody
they are not
continuously searching for something
that may or may not turn them
into someone more beautiful
than they already are
may two thousand sixteen
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
they swept in from the northwest
just as the dipper came into focus
wings spread wide and soaring
revealing ever brighter lights
they relaxed their claws
releasing scarlet and golden petals
falling like confetti
drifting and fading
manipulated by a friendly wind
whistling and
whispering
I heard from an old friend
there is still magic in the skies
and if you give yourself plenty of time
it will one day make you cry
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the cold has promised to come
and all I can think of
are the windows
the second story is burning
the attic fan turning
attempting to cool
that which never will
I told everyone who would listen
I don’t belong here
not where glaciers melt
before my very eyes
not where arctic blasts
are merely sticks of dynamite
and in the meantime
all I can think of are the windows
wide open
inviting the inevitable
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
he sat at the table
quietly
the salt and pepper
barely out of reach
but he would not speak
chewing the butterfly pork chop
precisely
she asked him if it needed
any salt
and he simply stuck
another chunk into his mouth
slowly but briefly shaking
his head
he buttered an ear of corn
using a slice of bread
and picked it up
clumsily
worked away at it
fearlessly
she knew it needed salt
but he wouldn’t say a word
and she wouldn’t dare
interrupt
a second time
she wanted to let him know
there was a good movie
airing on the pay-per-view
but thought twice
telling herself she was sure
he wanted to figure things out
all on his own
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I wanted to write something
magnificent
something simple yet prophetic
or down to earth
with incredible feeling
I wanted to dazzle you with grace
and humility
bringing forth clarity as to
why the sky is not the limit
and perfection is always near
I wanted to leave you pondering
asking for more
offering counterintuitive
ideas to ordinary notions
by the simple act of breathing
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you come in and out of my life
like a thief in the night
robbing me of dreams
I once held promisingly
sometimes you are the moon
cloaked by daylight
following my every move
without ever knowing
sometimes you are the rain
the kind that falls softly
comforting the troubles
that seem to haunt me
and although I can’t touch you
I can feel you are near
like a promise once made
kept dear in my heart
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
fingertips tapping keypads
keep time with strings
playing in the background
recreating this little biosphere
unfolding in my mind
wind chimes and bird songs
chatter noisily over a nearby
stream and faraway train
while oscillating fan mimics
breezes blowing in my face
lonely souls and frisky ghosts
sit near the fireless pit
swapping old stories and
asking invisible gods why
their prayers linger and fade
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it was thursday afternoon and
already I was devising a story
to get a jump on the weekend
mrs. jones dismissed english
literature a little early
saying something about the sun
and the moon and the spring
I couldn’t imagine her being
happy with just any man
at least not as long as she
made appearances in my life
although I must say oftentimes
I wonder if she knows I exist
especially outside my own
typewritten boundaries
may two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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