we labored to perfect
the replication of a hollowed
muscle application
centrally located and rhythmically
circulating essential oils
throughout the entire framework
of contemporary tin men
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the children stitched me together
with love and enthusiasm
dreamed up of ways
of making me beautiful
despite my mean intentions
with imagination my rigid body
became larger than life
filled with natural fibers
grown from the ground
surrounding their home
though i was unable to stroll
along fields of grain
that seemed to never end
I alone stood watch
and marveled at the way
they forever loved me
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I made my way to Reno by accident
with a woman much older than her age.
She said she knew a married man there
who seemed to have a ton of money.
It didn’t take long before she left me
for a drifter with some blow, so I decided
Reno was as good a spot as any
where I could work on my old acoustic.
By day I had a gig dealing twenty-one
at Fitzgeralds; earned enough in tips
to keep my lungs full of Old Golds
and my lips wet with whiskey or rye.
I kept telling myself I’m gonna make it big
in Nashville one day, but until then
I just kept singing my railroad songs
for the cockroaches in the rafters.
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
she found me weeping
on the river rock
my breathing shallow
my vision focusing
on distant memories
of an endless sky
i had no recollection
of the terrible beating
my body had taken
had barely remembered
how she lifted me up
and carried me away
she used her gifts
to mend my lonely heart
and tattered wings
restoring my will
to take to the sky
and find my way home
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
atop the stone wall
the handsome young man
sat perfectly still
his bow and arrow
resting on his lap
his tireless eyes envisioning
his one true love
emerging from within
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sit beside me my child
and listen to my story
where all the people
of the elusive valley
live in harmony
and die in peace
sadness beheld
my child’s eyes
as she cried in disbelief
certain my story
of the elusive valley
had been blown
to smithereens
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
she works with fierce loyalty
gathering meals from fields
carried on her hind legs and
fed to the developing brood
inside the critical chamber
she sprinkles water in the air
fluttering her wings to regulate
a perfect temperature
having neither time nor energy
to consider her own demise
she again leaves the hive
to ensure her queen’s legacy
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
one hour past midnight
the clock tapped me on the shoulder
and i opened my eyes
laying there in the dark
staring at the wall coming to life
with silent apparitions dancing to the rhythm
of the outside breeze
which filtered into the room
slightly chilling my hands and feet
i was too scared to move
and wondered if the time had come
to travel with the company
wondered if the players
would pull me out of the bed
and carry me away out through the window
into the never-ending night
where i would become a shadow
dancing on someone else’s wall
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the ancient ocean gave birth
to fertile earth admired from afar
worked by hands never seen
from its soil a new creation evolved
assisted by elements capable
of producing wind and fire
seedlings awakened and stretched
and instinctively sought to reach
the warmth of the outer dome
brown and green gradually gathered
throughout the valley
weaving itself into a blanket
of outlandish color
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
promises of glory
took you away from me
leaving me helpless
and grasping for understanding
exactly what went wrong
i sit in my chair and recall the days
watching you kill mercilessly
on the television screen
watching your back
aiding and abetting your safety
from the mindless enemy
those games now collect dust
as i wander through the house
murmuring to myself
for my stupidity
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I saw the fear in your eyes
coming straight at me
in a paralyzing dream
leaving me forever afraid
to call out your name
in the dark of the night
as I lay shivering
and dripping wet
wondering if my lovely angel
had come to your rescue
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you used the serrated knife
to cut thick slices from the loaf
throwing them on old china plates
about the size of your hands
on the last plate you poured
what was left of the virgin olive oil
and commanded everyone
to break bread and breathe again
november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
i should have put myself
in a position to save him
should have thrown differences aside
and made a case for rising
to the occasion
held back by clear skies
i kept to my routine
realizing he probably was right
this business of saving
is misunderstood
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the orphan child grew
into a selfless man
always helping others
despite the failure
to ever comprehend
his own abandonment
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
i applied for fortune
but none was granted
and i alone sought justice
for this slight
traveling the earth
i refocused my energies
seeking wisdom
beneath the rock of ages
praying for maturity
to never surrender
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
It doesn’t matter what day it is
and no one seems to care
which way the wind blows.
The only thing that seems to matter
is November will arrive without fanfare,
and now everything can get on with dying.
The day might be bright but it will be short;
city parks will be littered with leaves
that never completely dry.
Street walkers and their dogs
will be hard to recognize
once November has taken hold.
Towering trees become dancing skeletons
reaching out for a partner in the sky.
Peering through their branches
at just the right time,
Venus or the Moon or the Sun
can be spotted, pretending
to be ornaments dangling.
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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