story after story
guns & knives & ideological hatred
I try to imagine a world without it
he always said he wanted
to be a country boy
but that’s not likely
once sentenced to thirty years
we keep killing
young ones at an alarming rate
whether by war or neglect or hunger
and those pushers behind bars
easily recycle misinformation
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the air became thinner than usual
as if it was ghosting right through me
last night a series of explosions
ripped through the city like a cat 5 tornado
for whatever reason I lost my sense of smell
back when we were crawling on highway 13
I’m reminded of the latest prophecy
that anything gas-powered will no longer work
come sunrise there was nothing but big sky
far from a metropolis that may or may not exist
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
talk to people without using words
paint them a picture instead
the heartless climbing stone walls
long in line getting permits to eat & drink
permits to seek & destroy and sail away
now you are telling your story
using gestures & wild wild sounds
making the floor tremble ever so slightly
making your unbelieving eyes see further
than they’ve ever seen before
this coming down to earth business
will one day come into play
but until then there is much unearthing to do
for what lies beneath the surface
is not as scary as you were led to believe
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
look she said
followed by a bunch more words
I couldn’t tell you to this day
what they were
I was traveling way back at the time
back when I wore a batman
or superman cape
curious in otherworldly things
yet imperfectly insular
having returning to the streets
of san bernardino
I agree with her notions unwittingly
she rolls her eyes
giving me this one-of-a-kind smile
saying next time you better
take me with you
you know I’ve always wanted to go
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
c’mon man
let’s hit the streets
& see what kind of action
awaits us
now that the clocks
are ticking differently
we can change things up
and become someone
we are not
by day or by night
what lights up the sky
is one in the same
running or hiding on any
given hour
loving to be chased
dying to be shot at
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I do not have a place
to call home
for I am but a visitor here
or so I’ve come to learn
I did not have a say
in how & where I landed
and I am well aware
this land that I occupy
belongs to someone else
there are many connections
yet to be made before moving on
desirous of making amends
with the true inheritors
of this bountiful land
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
march unleashed the lion
and suddenly everyone
started breathing again
it won’t be long though
before she’s dead & gone
naturally replaced by
wildflowers & pollinators
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it is summer again
though this time it’s different
aerial artists spelling out words
across a clear blue sky
resonating with how you feel
there is no changing of the guard
or replacing the old with the new
there is only forward progression
as if living inside a movie reel
with each passing summer
something new dies
and as another night draws near
you find more artists in the sky
spelling out their names
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
or whatever it is you are calling
yourself these days
I’m beginning to believe
you’re stepping into a brand
new world
slightly the same
but maybe edgier [or tamer]
just can’t quite
put a finger on it
I recall you asking me
if a cat has nine lives
how many more shouldn’t we
it’s all about the math
you went on to explain
and me vividly remembering
writing it all down
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it was the middle of march
and the big chill arrived right on time
it was a saturday
no sun no rain no moon
the house was full of silence
never had so many souls
walked about the place
words limited
children practicing sign language
in the living room
there were two birds
sitting in the bush
as if overseeing the whole
proceedings
boldly defying the stone
planted there in the grass
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Afraid to die not afraid
which is it man
please make up your mind
But isn’t that the way it goes
everything is temporary
making decisions & then
reversing them
perhaps by way of public opinion
or simply because you don’t
know how to think for yourself
I used to think everyone
was afraid to die
but yes how naive & foolish
that now seems
having come to witness
the rebirth of man & woman alike
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is a song playing
in the other room
sounding somewhat familiar
but too faint to make out
of course the other room
is incapable of playing music
and so you venture there
to see what is what
the curtains are open
and so are the windows
you stand in the other room
as the song draws to a close
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
listen there is so much more to learn
before moving on to the next plane
but for some reason you’re stuck in a field of mud
not one soul within shouting distance
when the rains come you’ll be able
to make your way to a better place
but in the meantime there is so much to consider
now that you’ve scored more time
moving forward or back matters not
it’s the constant motioning you seek
as if you’ve acquired the wings of a hummingbird
now so very busy but going nowhere
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
and so they bought it all
hook sinker & line
by a man who wanted to be a god
somehow convincing the majority
there are greater days in store
as long as you are strong enough
able to instantly get over your
dead mother & dead grandmother
for the sake of the motherland
and yes but of course as long as
there is history yet to be made
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there’s much happening in the background
but it’s always been that way
this time though it’s closer to home
and with it comes a fear factor
the neighborhood’s not been the same
well before things were shut down
clamped down
locked down
new voices in a new language
broadcasting over the airwaves
it’s not difficult to learn something new
as long as there is proper motivation
like not wanting to die anytime soon
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve been googling how to become a god
and I’m finding it’s not as daunting
of a task as you might think
it’s not much different
than other casual aspirations
in which I have tried & failed
all the while claiming it could be done
acquiring the knowledge of self
is a start in the right direction
but that understanding might
only crack open the door
becoming a god is not impossible
but in doing so one must first
seek & destroy their own self
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 