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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “poem”

19 Jan 2013

riding shotgun


i left the house unlocked
with all the lights on
and ventured down the hill
in the dark and in the cold

within minutes a warmth
surprised my cool thoughts
as the faraway wall of clouds
evolved into pink and red
and purple and blue

as my meandering mind
marched further away
a bright red fire truck
appeared out of nowhere
blasting its dominant horn
and racing to save the day

a trio of three dogs named
java and cocoa and sally
halted in their tracks
as if envious of the dalmatian
sitting at attention and
riding shotgun


january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
15 Jan 2013
4 Comments

shall we dance


i found myself without obligations
one saturday morning
and decided to ride jenny
down to the river
to parlor city where they
serve breakfast on weekends

the place was busy but i managed
to snag the last seat at the bar
and ordered a bloody mary
and hot skillet
full of meats and potatoes
and veggies and eggs

it soon became clear the clean
shaven gentlemen sitting next to me
was most likely smashed on vodka
perhaps even as high
as a champion kite

what do you do he hissed at me

i’m a poet i said shoving food in my mouth

there’s nobody smart enough in this town
to be a poet he slurred

i put my fork down and picked up
my bloody and took a healthy swallow

you listen to me i said using my best
dirty harry impersonation

i’m gonna go out to jenny and get
my colt 45
and if you’re still here
when i get back
i’m gonna make you dance


january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , ,
13 Jan 2013
2 Comments

peace process


it’s too complicated
all these thoughts running
through the streets
without supervision
with blades strapped to ankles
and an arsenal of firearms
lining your inner pockets

forget the wars a half a world
away the one right here
is about to steal your freedom
unless you get off
your lazy ass and figure out
how to save yourself
before you’re blown away


january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
13 Jan 2013
4 Comments

million dollar app


i’ve been working on this app idea
the kind you buy at the app store
and somehow magically appears
on your smartphone
which really isn’t just a phone
but a device
that attaches itself to your body
all day and all night
regulating your bodily functions
telling you when your glucose is low
and your blood pressure high
monitoring your communication activity
both on and offline
and offering to be your second best friend
even though your dog
already knows better


january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , ,
12 Jan 2013
23 Comments

what’s your name


we used to rehearse our lines
in the lounge at memorial hall
back when you could
smoke cigarettes inside
and buy drafts of beer for fifty cents

I recall saying I would never
forget those lines but
they seem to have escaped me
and I am left with only a memory
of how the sunlight
bounced off the glass-framed
paintings hanging on the walls
making your eyes
appear as a certain shade of green
that for some reason reminded me
of the time I sailed the aegean sea



january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
06 Jan 2013
10 Comments

sacred heart


before and after does not exist
in the archer’s constellation
where an inconsumable
star factory
produces heavenly blue skies
and fiery sunsets
where reality is forever
suspended
and an open heart
welcomes
any soul pursuing
a new beginning



january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
05 Jan 2013
9 Comments

little mermaid


i opened my eyes
to a world full of ice
beautifully blue
and frozen in time

ages ago i called
out your name
chipping the surface
to find you again

with a little magic
i bent the tides
hoping tomorrow
you’d resurface alive



january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , ,
03 Jan 2013
2 Comments

reclamation


after falling down against my will
decades from the past
represented themselves
as colorful pixels
slowly dissolving
into near nothingness

in due time my consciousness
resurrected itself
as a beautiful child
and there was nothing
i wouldn’t do
to start walking again


january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
01 Jan 2013
7 Comments

pilgrimage


for centuries the survivors
of the forgotten world
journeyed to the ancient city
to marvel at the concrete
and glass that once gave rise
to an infallible dream

unable to imagine
such destructive forces
the children picked wildflowers
growing from the ash
waving them in the air
pretending to surrender



january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , , , ,
01 Jan 2013
10 Comments

one last kiss


i dreamed the new year
never arrived
and i was left on the shore
listening to the moon
kissing the sea

as i walked along
a restlessness stirred
within
reminding me
you are always near


january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , ,
30 Dec 2012
12 Comments

another iowa winter


nobody knows what the weather
is like in iowa
just like they don’t know gigantic
potatoes only grow in idaho

in january it’s so damn cold here
the cows don’t move
so it’s easy to walk right up to them
and snap photograph after photograph

there are no metropolises in iowa
just little towns
with a post office and a tavern
where you can tie your horse to a post

in the winter the winds blow so cold
it leaves you shivering
until march when the sun penetrates
the earth and reality begins to blossom


copyright j matthew waters
december two thousand twelve
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
29 Dec 2012
2 Comments

expecting


i’m expecting my baby home
any time
expecting her to open
the door
and greet me with that
smile
i haven’t seen
since telling me
she never felt more alive


december two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , ,
29 Dec 2012
5 Comments

breaking the silence


it was the silence he said
that rocked his world
giving him thoughtful insight
into the universe

i thought that sounded nice
so i ordered another round
and asked him to feed me more

he said god would visit him often
while fishing the deep pools
lock and dam fourteen created
near the banks of the mississippi

it was there when the whole world
slept that catfish after catfish
struck his line
breaking the silence
and exorcising
the demons
planted inside him centuries ago
by a paranoid church and state

i leaned back in the barstool
and nodded my head
drawing smoke to my lungs
curiously asking him
about the bait he used
as the bartender yelled
‘last call’


december two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dogma, Fishing, Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
24 Dec 2012
9 Comments

the natural rink


the lighted pond
attracted the townsfolk
on christmas eve
all eager to trade their boots for blades
and chase their shadows
across the ice
their arms and legs seemingly moving
in different directions
as feet shuffle and glide
race and coast
their chatter audible and visible
in the bright brisk air
with an occasional rump
every so often
testing the thickness
of the natural rink


december two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , ,
23 Dec 2012

the escort


you entered my life
in a most unexpected way
leaving me to dwell
on all things
naturally good
giving me a sliver of hope
for achieving peace
within
before i am escorted
out the door

december two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dogma, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
22 Dec 2012

history repeats itself


it’s another cold day
but it’s not like i don’t need an excuse
anyway
to stay below in the cave
like some recluse
who doesn’t have a clue
what’s going on
in the world

there’s nothing out there
for me
anyway
except gas stations
and the grocery store
where i go incognito
to buy cases of beer
and cat food

there’s no sense in buying
a newspaper
because i know
it just regurgitates
the horrors
of this world
repeating itself
day after bloody day

i write letters to old friends
hoping they are alive
enough
to read them
and let them know
to hell
with the high school
reunion



december two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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