the children are being watched
by men with weapons
acting as protectors
from foreign forces
they volunteer as escorts
for the elders
protecting them from snipers
and negotiators with knives
it’s easy getting educated
at such a young age
quickly picking up maps
and languages
of many legions
as long as they refrain
from strapping on suicide packs
their prophesy of negotiating
lasting peace
will one day ring true
march two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I bought my baby some brand new shoes
got on my knees and slipped them on her feet
like I was some goddamn prince charming
where did you get the money to buy these shoes
she said
lifting one heel
and half turning her hips
the longshot in the fifth took place I said
lighting a cigarette and leaning back on the sofa
enjoying her big smile getting bigger
oh these are just way way way too much
do you know
how much these shoes cost
no pony
could ever afford these shoes
don’t worry about it baby the shoes are yours
you can bury yourself in them
as far as I’m concerned
march two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the flight across endless waves
remains forever lost
the passengers abandoning time
in a downward spiral
their minds suspended
in horrifically incoherent thoughts
as an oceanic escape hatch welcomes
their translucent deliverance
into an alien world
march two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the little ones gathered ‘round
ratcheting their bottoms
against the carpet as if trying to
permanently stay in place
you see
the old man began
bobbing his head
in the old days
you could drive out to the country
with your sweetheart by your side
leaving a trail of dust behind you
weaving your way through rolling hills
where rows of corn stretch toward the sun
and gigantic cows feed on fields
that forever stay green
once you reach the sign
with the painted horse
you abandon the car
and walk hand in hand down a narrow lane
leading you to an antiquated world
where you first learn to saddle your new best friend
and ride off into the sunset
with courage and grace
march two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Rewritten from a poem originally penned July 5, 1983
You ask me why I’m seated alone in an empty bar
on a late afternoon scanning a complicated James novel.
But I am not alone my darling,
I’m terribly busy; I’m Lambert Strether
in Paris on business.
I’m an Ambassador sent by my own Mrs. Newsome,
attempting to persuade Chad to come home;
it’s a more complicated commission
than I could ever have imagined.
You ask me not to be silly?
How many drinks have I had since being alone in this bar,
mocking a complicated James novel?
I’ve been here since my lunch engagement
with Madame de Vionnet who has unfortunately
left to attend another matter.
This glass of wine is what’s left of our bottle.
We had been talking of her daughter,
a lovely young lady, who has indirectly disrupted
my plan of action.
I’m surprised you found this obscure bar outside of town,
it’s one of Madame de Vionnet’s favorite meeting places.
She cannot be seen with me, but she likes
my accent and my conversation.
It’s just that she’s married so secretly we must meet.
Oh, it’s a complicated matter!
Honestly, I am not attempting to toy with you.
Okay, if you would just like to chat for a while,
I’ll simply curtail my business for an hour.
Hell, Chad may never go back to the states
to run the family business for his mother.
I will listen to what you have to say as you try to salvage
some sense from this complicated relationship.
As for me though, I’m content, I love it here;
I don’t ever want to leave;
I couldn’t possibly marry Mrs. Newsome now.
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is a place beyond the horizon
where the moon bounces off the waves
and creatures of the deep
reveal themselves for all to see
there is a place beyond the sea
where stars are reborn
time and time again
giving new meaning to eternity
there is a place within your heart
forever caring
forever evolving
and forever trying to quiet
the madness from within
there is a place outside this world
where we will meet again
where the orchestra is perfectly refined
and we hold on for our dear lives
as we dance forever into the night
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
i walked outside
on a warm spring day
and smelled chocolate chip cookies
they must be coming from next door
i thought
so i moseyed to my neighbor’s back door
and knocked and waited
to be let in
my neighbor didn’t come to the door
so i walked to the kitchen window
and held onto the ledge
with my fingers
pulling myself up so my chin
rested on the ledge
the heels of my feet off the ground
lifted by the power of my toes
there i saw two sheets of
chocolate chip cookies
laid out on the counter
untouched and looking delicious
i wondered why my neighbor
didn’t want to share
her brand new cookies
i walk away
saddened
the smell of the cookies
lingering everywhere
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the bracelet fits perfectly
as if handcrafted
just for me
i found the bracelet
buried two feet deep
in my neighbor’s wooded
lot as i transgressed
with metal detector in hand
hoping to find pieces
from a past
i could somehow
put back together
within the safety
of my own property
i bring the bracelet
back to life
and pray its magic
will never end
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
when a rabbit moved in next door
and started posting personal ads
about wanting to have kits
i just knew it was time to move on
i didn’t want to meet him
so i stayed inside
and instead spied
through various windows
up and down the split foyer
his mail order bride
arrived via yellow cab
and sauntered up the walk
leading to the front door
confetti raining down
from a second story dormer
it doesn’t take long
for the little ones to mature
once born into their
new home blind and naked
and helpless
and before you know it
babies are hopping everywhere
and not any backyard fence
will keep them at bay
years after getting the hell out of there
i heard it didn’t take much longer
before the entire neighborhood
evolved into a gangland
patrolled by killer bunnies
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
he was destined to be a star
there was no doubt about it
he had the name that just rang true
and he had looks to die for
and the girls were so happy
he wasn’t taken even though
everyone knew he liked guys
he was the number one draft pick
right out of college
after winning the big game
with his golden arm
“he’s going places” i remember
the talking heads saying
as if they knew something
nobody else did
he was destined to be a star
there was no doubt it
but now nobody remembers his name
and not even the talking heads
talk about
where all the money went
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we ventured out into the wilderness
and manipulated pieces of steel
with nuts and bolts
using handmade tools and human ingenuity
assembling giant creatures
ten stories tall
with ravenous appetites
plunging them headlong
deep into the earth
where they feed on subterranean elements
and spew their wasteful byproducts
out into the troposphere
for clouds to absorb
and recycle as violent weather
bombing war-torn cities
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the older i get the less i know
and that is the only thing
i know for certain
i’ve become disconnected
with the political process
in this screwed up country
where we spend more time
kicking the can
down deficit lane
than trying to figure out
why most of us here
don’t want to be able to
feed our own faces
i heard the other day
the president wants some sort
of mandatory preschool program
put in place
so the little ones can take to task
and figure out why we continue
to get further behind china
who will one day no doubt
be pulling all the strings
dangling above our heads
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there i was sitting in english class
talking about the duality
of holden caulfield
when all of a sudden the television
hanging in the corner of the classroom
awakened like a jolt of lightning
and the doors suddenly closed
and automatically locked
twenty of us just sat there in silence
removing the oxygen
from the dead air
and i recall thinking how everything
i’ve accomplished up to this point
was going to hang on tightly
as i slipped through the little window
stepping into a brand new life
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
i keep wondering about the
rover on the planet mars
and the guy with the joystick
guiding it around during
daylight hours
telling it where to dig
and using tools at his disposal
to turn a rock over on its side
imagine the look on his
face when he uncovers
the false side of a mountain
exposing a sophisticated
learning ground
where time-tested
ancient mariners develop
tomorrow’s space travelers
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
they awaken on sundays
and praise the one who gave them life
they put on their finest clothes
and take to the streets
huddled together like little lambs
moving at the command of their shepherd
who leads them down the narrow way
toward the altar of life
as they march they recite
words from the ancient book
raising their hands
toward the open sky
asking for forgiveness
and vowing to repent
when the hour comes
to prepare the table
they shamelessly offer
the most innocent
as an imperfect sacrifice
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
she spends her days praying
and by night holds your hand
when the stars are touchable
she brought you into her world
and had you entirely expose her
item by item and kiss by kiss
you didn’t know what to think
you just did as she said
and she never did let you rest
in the dark of the morning
you made it back home
safely in your bed
as if nothing ever happened
february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 