I awoke violently
as if someone had grabbed my
shoulders and shook me
with all their might
Gasping for breath
as if dying or coming to life
I recall striving to push my imagination
from beneath the surface
out-chasing the nightmare
that is the unborn
Within the darkness
I hushed myself back to sleep
pretending nothing
ever happened to the sun
december two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I walk down the steps into an open
foyer with the lights on
the morning sun sprays itself into the
house from everywhere
I walk across the wooden floor
sabotaged by kitty toys
and broken promises
I open the refrigerator door
for more artificial light
and orange juice concentrate
things are starting to come back to me now
I say to myself
audibly clearer than a whisper
I wonder out loud
what lies in the next room
december two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
wounded ant repairs himself
sends himself back into the fray
where he nary has time for loose chit-chat
nor counterproductive influences
there is no home sweet home
just a constant moving forward
last twenty-four hours exposing a dying light
in an ever-changing horizon
punching holes through earth
and wood often lead to nowhere
but when consumed by a billion megabytes
may uncover lasting paradise
december two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we took the long road
to the top of the island
believing by the time we got back
to the ocean
your father would be gone
pausing along the way
we listened to the distant waves
while lying on our backs
nibbling on treats and
pretending the clouds
flew like pink elephants
the rhythm of the water
slowly put us to sleep
our dreams commingling
as your father’s footfalls
echoed ever closer
december two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
They told me to sign here
but I refused
I refused to give them my blood
or my urine or my
social security number
Instead I stood in line
this imaginary line
drawn somewhere on the Internet
nobody could reach without possessing
proper credentials
When given a free pass
I knew there was no going back
and my virtual signature was certain
to never have existed
december two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
out of the blue melancholy
wrapped her arms around me
and held me close
whispering sad songs
and wiping away the tears
that formed from the
corners of my mind
she slowly swayed me
encouraging me to hush
painted pictures of the
moon and stars with her
deceiving voice
expressing how precious
and lonesome is the night
december two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we listened to pink floyd
all afternoon
before settling on watching the wall
neither sunlight nor lightning
could penetrate the electronic den
stocked with essentials and
adorned with colorful matter
that shined on the four corner speakers
slightly exposing fellow clan members
relaxing on the supersectional
and loveseat
and futon
and pink bean bag chair
sometime before the wall is smashed
a pizza delivery boy arrives unannounced
swarmed by our open arms
we tear into his flesh
only to stitch him
back together
like some old rag doll
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I crawled out of my skin
and curled into a ball
allowed the wind to kick me
down an endless winding road
along the way I witnessed
invisible claws dig
deep inside an open field
uncovering ancient treasures
as diamonds gradually
overwhelmed the sky
I unfurled my mind and
surrendered my spirit
to the next reality
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I love to play the piccolo
just before the birds awaken
my own imagination
enters their waking dreams
before the song is over
and just as the sun starts to smile
trillions of feathers
usher in the morning blue
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the neighboring kids
amassed their bikes
and wagons and scooters
and any other kind of steel
structure with or without wheels
piling them up across
a southside driveway
they stood behind their
improvised barricade
lifting toy weapons and fists
high into the air
screeching indecipherable
insults at an enemy
hiding behind mere curtains
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
nobody cares about nineteen
eighty-four anymore
nobody seems to remember
how lovely the wine tasted
nor how the hash under glass
made the world such a
beautiful place
there is no rewinding
there is only nineteen eighty-four
when the world mushroomed
and there were no more
children to be born
some say the final war
brought lasting peace
to this world
but nobody can be sure
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
off in the distance
fiery bodies pierce an
otherwise cold and dark night
sparking unnatural cries
inside the city
dormant firehouses
suddenly become mobile
spewing lights and noise
through once sleepy
narrow avenues
earthen black holes
welcome life and death
mixing fear with hope
and giving mystery
a brand new meaning
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you just don’t get it
do you
she says
unwrapping a stick of
frozen butter on the counter
no I don’t
I think to myself
but all I can say out loud is
‘what?’
and don’t give me that
what the fuck are you talking about
face
I don’t wanna see that
I don’t wanna see that either I say
see what she says
that
what the fuck are you talking about
face
very funny
she says
sterling silver knife in hand
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
visions arrive in feverish shapes
testing my sanity
in a darkness protected from a
cold november rain
flashes of restlessness appear
out of no where
reminding me of a dogged past
certain to hound me again
voiceless visitors with a certain
je ne sais quoi
talk me into believing
this night will never end
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
he practices his complaints
before entering the store
knowing full well
he will leave unsatisfied
the return desk at his back
he mutters underneath his breath
a receipt and a little credit
tucked inside his fanny pack
on the way home he stops at
wendy’s for a bacon cheeseburger
then after a while reminds himself
he’s got changes to make
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
they told me to take the hush money
said they wanted me to forget
all about the aliens
I met at the tropicana
aliens I repeated
I thought they were mexicans
disguised as cubans
dropping into vegas
by way of area fifty-one
it’s a bundle they said
go ahead and count it if you like
but there’s fifty grand there
immediately I imagined
I’d never see them aliens again
then wondered
if the money was any good
november two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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