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
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
He wakes up tired and alone and starts
the daily routine all over again,
asking himself what’s it all for,
this grind called life; doing the same thing
day in and day out and seemingly
not getting anywhere.
In the kitchen the cat tries to order
bacon and eggs as he pours himself
a cup of orange juice,
dispensing the daily supplements
onto the counter, convinced they’re necessary
to keep his vital organs functioning.
Once on the highway he interacts
with sports talk radio, arguing against
this Sunday’s predictions.
Nearing downtown he darts into the fast lane
and accelerates past the exit ramp,
a smile on his face and Vegas
only three hundred miles away.
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the room trembled with silence
as i sat alone on the high chair
punching keys and the space bar
with fingers and thumbs
moments earlier the silence
was interrupted with the clip clip clipping
of the fingernail clipper
and i remember thinking
what a masterful invention it was
as i purposely cut the left hand nails
much shorter than the right
the room’s silence grew louder
with terrible thoughts racing out of my mind
ricocheting off the walls and ceiling and floor
before returning to my fingers
and magically appearing on the plasma screen
i remember thinking it was such an awful silence
as tears of joy swelled in my eyes
my fingers racing millions of miles per millisecond
traveling beyond space and time
before crashing beautifully
into this alien creation
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
innocence is regrettably lost
when exposed to a virtual world
bent on glorifying decadence
through intense selfishness
where powerfully dark forces
can bring an angel to her knees
sending her somersaulting
beyond gravitational forces
that keep this planet in place
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
i snuck into the world
through a backdoor
you carved into a rolling hill
where you worked the earth
with your creative hands
with perfection in mind
you made my eyes
the lightest shade of blue
and my skin varied
depending upon the light
your blood flowed within
nourishing my heart
and strengthening my mind
as i learned how the earth
recycles all living things
through time and patience
i came to understand
how the secrets of the clay
could beautify and nourish
a world starving for love
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
i heard it through the grapevine
was playing on the radio
when they interrupted to announce
the president had been shot
it was the marvin gaye version
the one released a year after
gladys knight & the pips put it out
back in nineteen sixty-seven
i tried calling the radio station
to ask how necessary it was
to cut into such a classic song
but i just couldn’t get through
</span
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved>
you entered the ward
with a smile in your eye
quietly knelt beside me
and whispered of a world
where the dazzling white light
promises to free me
from the pain inside
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s always been that way
nothing about the past
is fair
and the future
will always be flawed
when you sit down
and wonder if things are moving
in the right direction
something hits you in the face
reminding you
the system always operates
with vital parts missing
october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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