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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “Poetry”

09 Oct 2020

the artist in the parlor


she didn’t like to be photographed
though being drawn
was another matter altogether

she didn’t like pickles or salmon
or dinner parties greater than six
always preferring to sit (or lounge)
in the living room or parlor
taking in conversations
and open to most questions

during dinner she liked to keep quiet
communicating by way of
visual contact instead
excusing herself before dessert
retiring to the parlor
with anyone who would join her




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
07 Oct 2020

post modern pandemic


interesting times often lead those
living barely on the surface
finding solace in dark & sullen places
often where fallen angels convene
discussing in greater detail
their strongest of all desires
and their willingness to obtain them
at all costs




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
06 Oct 2020

temporarily suspended


I bought one of those metal
tea kettles that whistle
mainly to study more closely
my own reaction to the
sound of pressure

I’ve been working on the
same New York Times
crossword puzzle
inking in one answer per day
these past fifty days

In less than a week I’d say
the picture should be complete
and then & only then
I’ll be more than ready
to get back in the game




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
05 Oct 2020

breaking the chain


that’s just plain wrong
these dreams I’m witnessing
they do not belong to me
last I checked I’m not working
for any damn fool

and so here I find myself
playing detective again
night after bloody night
solving the whys & wherefores
of vampires & werewolves
working backwards
from the end to the beginning

everyone in this world
seems to know my name
repeating ad nauseum
you’re not welcome here

the feeling is more than mutual
I whisper beneath my breath
returning to a specific point
and standing tall




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
04 Oct 2020

catch and release with daughter


it didn’t take her long to independently
cast her own line
and before you knew it
we were frequenting cold water streams
hundreds of miles from home

there must be a good spot here
I can feel it she told me
her eyes darting constantly
as we meandered against the flow
pausing when spotting rainbow trout
well within sight
motionless & suspended above the bed
in groups from three to seven

these will never bite she said
but we’re bound to find a cool pool up ahead
and so reeled back in
advancing further toward the inevitable




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Fishing, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
03 Oct 2020
2 Comments

mountain pass


the air is dry but the ground is wet
it’s that time of year small changes
begin to quietly accumulate

as you rummage through the
remnants of autumns past
you swipe through abandoned cobwebs
absolving them into nothingness
using only the palms of your hands

artificial light reflecting off your eyes
you unknowingly digress in time
ancient secrets like recent memories




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
02 Oct 2020

walking across the coals


the natives are dancing
celebrating all colors of the earth
methodically attaining a controlled frenzy

this fleeting life is anything but
this much they teach us

in the beginning we’re all on our own
incapable of understanding the cycle

the coals are burning
shades of red & orange & yellow
like leaves turning in mid-october




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
01 Oct 2020

on the high seas


forgive my apathy
I’m long adrift in no man’s land
examining all life around me
as if for the last time

offbeat winds blowing
in contradictory directions
stars steering me at night
offering empathy

this invisible me
like a thimble in the raging sea
believably staying afloat
white flag waving high




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
30 Sep 2020

repainting the town


we’re going to paint the town
it’s only a matter of deciding
which color

and therein lies the dilemma

while red is the obvious choice
it’s become socially unacceptable

along those lines you may as well
eliminate yellow or any shade
of black & white

politics aside I find myself redefining
the painter’s palette
offering the world brand new colors
but asking you (& only you)
which one we’ll be going with




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
29 Sep 2020

everything’s all right


lost in sight
this idea of flight
wings freshly pressed
hanging in walk-in closet

a voice inside
recalling the ride
as if only yesterday
the universe became free

oh that song
it’s been so long
snapping your fingers
whistling with perfect pitch

eyes intertwined
repaired over time
memories wide open
these unburdening wings




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
28 Sep 2020

slingshot


all around us
nothing but subtle changes
you’d think we’d be used to it by now
but there’s no floor or ceiling
and everything in between
seems to be up for grabs

I heard her singing on the radio
for the very first time
enchanting me with promises
and reworking my daydreams
to the point where I’m afraid
to fall asleep at night

it’s as if my inner voice
has been taken hostage
bulleted by rhetorical questions
taking me beyond the beginning
only to have me somersaulting
further into the future




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
27 Sep 2020
5 Comments

choreography


cutting through the noise
we’re going to need more knives
or sharpen the ones having grown
quiet all these years

here can you help me
I’ve more than one honing steel
we can spend the day
talking about the weather
while whetting away

once we’re done
we’ll change into our ninja armor
living by dancing again
wielding our resurrected blades
into the suffocating air




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
26 Sep 2020
5 Comments

before daybreak


I hadn’t realized
it was a moonless night
until hours later sitting
by the bedside
rewrapping my arm

local media announce
half the city is gone
but according to
my own personal math
they’re not even close

in the other room
a candle starts to flicker
and like a man in a trance
I start counting the hours
before daybreak




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged ,
25 Sep 2020

suspending the course of events


reaching higher ground
each & every day

the world keeps spinning
mostly tumultuously

changing views retrospectively
shifting into a lower gear

conserving thoughts
disregarding any kind of counting

getting back to the beginning
I’m told is virtually impossible

you look at me like I’m crazy
as I take the next logical steps




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
24 Sep 2020
2 Comments

selling inheritances


who were you
the man I never knew
sent off to college but never to war
what good did you give to others
when they were down
when in a position
to make a difference

this indifference in men
is as common as the cold
word on the street saying
you happily played your part

but that’s not how you saw it
having never been introduced
to the wide lens

as a blessing or curse
inheritances do not come cheaply
and having nurtured them for so long
you’ve managed to exchange
them all for fools gold




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
23 Sep 2020
2 Comments

what are we dying for


we’ve come to know
there’s more to life than this

and yet here we go
growing tomatoes & making sure
what little grass we have
always looks its best

chomping at the bit
we step on the gas whenever we can
passing long-buried treasure
keeping pace by way the crow flies

depending upon the angle
the sun is always in our eyes

in the meantime we keep inventing
would-be catchphrases
hopeful one day one of them
will make it all the way to the stars




september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,

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