I sometimes imagine
what the fall of america
will be like and wonder
what similarities its cities will share
with the likes of sparta and pompeii
delphi and olympia
tikal and memphis
I imagine the people will flee
from the cities and find
a much simpler life
free from the burden
of a bigoted government
learning to live a new way
peacefully within its own means
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I lost my way along the way
and wound up in a tavern
I never knew existed
I ordered a dark beer
and sat alone
wondering how it was
I had found this place
there were so many things
I meant to get done that day
but nothing seemed to be working
so I wandered out of the city
looking at nothing in particular
and daydreaming
about all the things I had done
once finishing off the pint of beer
the bartender
poured me another without
either of us saying one word
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I am not afraid of the tick tick ticking
in the dark of the night
not afraid to challenge the allusion
that everything is linear
all of the crooked roads
lead to broken clocks
stacked high within a framework
not even a jeweler would dare touch
the wise old owl understands
why man is obsessed with counting
but refuses to reveal the truth
and so the journey goes round and round
I shall never retire my fight against
the concept of a single dimension
will never accept the gift of a watch
whose mechanisms will one day fail
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I love the way she speaks to me
when the light is just right
the color of her eyes
transitioning from blue to bright
she wraps her arms around mine
like a skintight sleeve
vibrant and indelible
sinfully striking yet naive
no pain is greater than her mark
engraved upon my hide
forever reminding me
artistry shan’t ever be denied
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I told the waitress
I like my steak
medium rare
turned just once
and bloody pink inside
She smiled
and walked away
the bounce in her
step a bit livelier
than when she arrived
My companion
was not amused
quick to remind me
I wasn’t the one
working on tips
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the trains have all left
this dusty little town
and I’m left on the trackside
without even a dime
to buy a little more time
as my woman sits in coach
destination saint somewhere
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
born and bred to never
trust a stranger
he rode into town
in the dark of the night
and spent the evening
with spirits of his choosing
his debts forever
remained unpaid
well into the next life
and those who attempted
to collect his bounty
would never ride again
from out of the fire
he brandished pistols
as fluid as quicksilver
anxious at exacting
vengeance upon those
who did him wrong
towards the end
there was no settling in
and the road to redemption
became an allusion
the posse presented
as a possible way out
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you spent a lifetime
away from home
discovering wormholes
this side of saturn
breaking old laws
and discovering the mother lode
leaving you to question
how many postcards
are better than earth’s
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
from the book of revelation
the pair sat in lawn chairs
underneath two olive trees
fire spewing from their mouths
consuming any wickedness
strolling up the lane
earlier they had labored
in their pristine garage
sawing and hammering and
finishing two lampstands
to support reflective light
they exacted their prophesy
for forty-two months
flooding an interconnected world
with plagues and bloodware
meant to tame the beast
despite their divine intentions
the beast prevailed in war
emerging from the underworld
and leaving them lifeless
on a street in salem
the people drank and cheered
and burned lawn chairs
in the bottomless pit
dancing around the witnesses
for three and a half days
the earth began to tremble
and a cool wind filled their
bodies with new life
sweeping them off their feet
rising above a city crumbling
may two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
on the first day of may
all the lonely children
gathered to play a game
each venturing to hide
within the seven wonders
on the first day of may
the sun refused to shine
and the children hidden
behind the shadows
pretended not to cry
on the first day of may
the glorious bell did ring
and all the children
starving for affection
raced to meet their king
may first two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you moved your knight
outside your comfort zone
tempting my lady
to meet you halfway
your little entourage
failed to retool
as your ambitious attempts
proved to be futile
withdrawn into darkness
I tightened the noose
offering your freedom
with a false ransom
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
put a band-aid on it
she said
and walk it off
it’ll be all right
those words stayed
with me
for countless years
whenever I happen upon
someone injured
whether they be a child
or a woman
or an old man
I see her transitioning
from a healer who couldn’t save herself
to a guardian angel on steroids
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
imagine marine-like monsters
inhabiting the darkest of waters
their bodies shaped simply
their fins rudimentary yet powerful
propelling themselves instantly
jetting at reckless speeds
and abruptly halting to a standstill
they are neither here nor there
and represent a constant terror
to those who slip into their world
their world is an antithesis
to the dreams we fabricate
and even in the wildest of our
fascination we realize their depths
are unreachable
their darkness too deep to see
even a flicker of light
leaving us unable to conjure hope
or understand the underworld
unless we sell our soul
and give in to the other side
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you hide your beauty behind
your deepest thoughts
deceived into believing
there is nothing left to share
generations of ingenuity
push your instincts
and test your resolve
to fashion the unthinkable
end result is earth shattering
and unbreakable
as you reveal one final time
your undying creativity
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
a child slips away
for just a moment
crawling between a railing
so many stories high
falling in slow motion
your hands reaching out
unable to grasp
the law of diminishing reality
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I hunker down in a hawkish grotto
where nobody can find my prize
where the light of day
seems a light year away
and hound dogs
are just a figment of my imagination
there is plenty of food for thought
and sweet nectar can be tapped
from these ancient walls
measuring ten stories tall
adorned with objects
painted on throughout the centuries
exiled into this self-imposed solitude
I am at peace with my new mission
guarding the evils
locked inside this silo
hoping and praying
the world lives beyond its darkest days
april two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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