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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “poetry”

03 Mar 2013
5 Comments

the prince and the peacemaker


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

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , , ,
02 Mar 2013
6 Comments

a day at the races


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

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
02 Mar 2013
2 Comments

water landing


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

Posted in Aliens, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , ,
24 Feb 2013
14 Comments

may i have this dance


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

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , ,
22 Feb 2013
8 Comments

the bracelet


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

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , ,
20 Feb 2013
14 Comments

the scourge next door


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

Posted in Animals, In the City, Poetry and tagged , , , , , ,
18 Feb 2013
6 Comments

the insurance salesman


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

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , ,
17 Feb 2013
7 Comments

hailstorm


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

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
16 Feb 2013
2 Comments

this is not a test


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

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , ,
10 Feb 2013
11 Comments

feeding the flock


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

Posted in Dogma, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
09 Feb 2013
5 Comments

rendezvous


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

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , , , ,
09 Feb 2013
7 Comments

looking for mr. rorschach


the man in the white coat
hands me a square sheet of paper
encouraging me to tell him
what i think i see

on the white sheet of paper
a black and white monarch butterfly
stretches out her wings in perfect symmetry
her lips tasting the nectar of oswego tea
growing near a garden pond
filled with koi and water lilies

giving back the square sheet of paper
i lower my eyes and
tell the brain doctor
i see some chump sitting on the street corner
hand held out and repeating something silly
like penny for your thoughts

february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , ,
07 Feb 2013
11 Comments

polar opposites


beauty arises from the dirt
born of age-old comets
and earthly delights
photosynthetic arms
feeding on the sun
and supporting a smile
colorful and wide

beneath the surface
a neural network
grows in an opposing way
stretching and penetrating
though the darkness
weaving absolute lifelines
for the blind to grasp

february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
02 Feb 2013
13 Comments

Researching the Madness


The lines go back far they do
lines drawn on a map
from somewhere in Pennsylvania
via Antwerp and Brussels

The little girl grew into an iron-fisted
Matriarch who rang the bell at five
to feed her boys the holiest of bread
while reciting hymnals of fear and guilt

Her shepherdless husband
followed her trail to Illinois
to a sleepy town her brother first discovered
years before boarding SS Vaderland

It was there tempers raged within
from the ethnically charged populous
but she managed self-restraint
and seldom raised her hand
against her own Motherland

But for her brother the chains broke
and wickedness unleashed itself
on Christmas Day
as the quietness of the neighborhood
exploded with a single shot of insanity

That dying branch still hangs crooked
on the corner of Rose and Lexington
its venomous DNA lingering
inside a sleepy little child


february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in History, Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
02 Feb 2013
3 Comments

Untitled – Circa 1984

Dedicated to Gary W. Keena
March 1, 1952 – February 1, 2013

What have you to live for
before you leave this world? before you’re on your own?
What cause will you die for
in your final hour? at your greatest need?

Tell me before you leave, what have you to say?
Tell me of the lonely riddle and the unknown way.

Old man, sit up straight,
don’t cough away your life…don’t hide your eyes.
Listen to my words of wonder;
do they matter? who really cares?

Answer me one question
before you leave this world…to satisfy my fear.
Tell me if you know
where you’re going next…tell me of paradise.

Today, today, it yearns for yesterday;
take me back one day so I might know the secret of creation.

Tell me before you leave, what have you to say?
Tell me of the lonely riddle and the unknown way.


About Gary


Poetry Video

recorded and posted february second two thousand thirteen
originally written circa nineteen eighty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , ,
30 Jan 2013
4 Comments

remake


there’s nothing new
going on around here
except for elvis and jesus
walking the streets again

everywhere around the globe
people are revolting
while special forces make sure
they’re in on the action

the price of oil fluctuates
like the unpredictable warming
giving rise to speculation
the end is already here


january two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in History, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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