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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “Poetry”

29 Oct 2018
4 Comments

sunrise revisited


there’s not much time left
my love
to make the world
our very own again

stampedes have come
and gone
leaving behind pieces of china
all over this promising place

while so many
crawl on their hands and knees
gathering past lives
that can’t possibly
be put back together
I grab hold of your hand
and slowly we pull away
tiptoeing past land mines
ultimately racing
directly into a rising sun




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged ,
28 Oct 2018
3 Comments

walking on the moon


when I get to the moon
I’m gonna put on my red shoes
converse all stars to be sure
complete with blue and yellow laces

when I get to the moon
I’m gonna skip and jump and holler
picking up rocks while doing
cartwheels and somersaults

won’t you come with me
oh won’t you come with me
to the moon and maybe back
we can walk hand in hand
skipping and jumping and hollering
sporting red converse all stars
complete with blue and yellow laces



october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
27 Oct 2018
2 Comments

practicing


there was a time
I’d pound those keys
morning noon and night
making music in my sleep
hoping one day they’d be
translated into poetry

they kept telling me
people love you
and of course
I believed them
like morning dew
believes in rising sun

piano in bay window
hasn’t been played
since god knows when
sparrows still perching
on old crabapple
remembering




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Poetry and tagged , ,
26 Oct 2018

other side of the tracks


I’m not allowed to let you in
or so my mother said
but I opened the door nonetheless
gave you the nickel tour

You didn’t know what to think
how everything’s in its place
especially when explaining
we weren’t allowed
to keep closet doors opened

In my mind
we weren’t much different
especially on the field
but after the rains came and went
I found myself wondering
why you’d never invite me
to your mother’s house




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
25 Oct 2018
2 Comments

rewriting history


we live in interesting times
artificial intelligence
replacing original thought
bits and pieces of plastic
entering the food chain
giving new meaning to
garbage in garbage out

man may lose interest
once machines take over
3D designers replacing
likes of archimedes and einstein
shakespeare and da vinci
historical asterisks
sinking in a sea of change




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in History, Poetry and tagged , ,
24 Oct 2018
5 Comments

my whispering moon


how the moon motivates me
wakes me when she rises
whispering in my ear
promising the world in exchange
for my undying devotion

hours before the cock crows
I find myself mechanically
walking city streets
dodging occasional headlamps
wondering where you are

weatherman proved wrong again
about mostly starry skies
your whispers reassuring
affirming you are nearer
than my eyes could ever see




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
23 Oct 2018
2 Comments

as if silence could breathe


in the darkroom
he could see independently
gradually bringing the past into focus

how those snippets near and far
are but a mirror for the soul
artistically developed
rinsed with a touch of reality
and hung under safelights

it was easy letting go
once able to stand on his own
composite prints defining himself
one eye-opening exposure at a time




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
22 Oct 2018
6 Comments

dawn’s early light


he was afraid to fall asleep
for fear he’d never wake up
but when morning arrived
and he arose
feeling refreshed
he swore he was in his element

if only he knew what that meant
to be in his element
unable to fully grasp
the importance of those
euphoric moments
should they last a minute or more

and as the day wore on
so the dread of night did creep
a faint reminder of past lives
never truly lived
having transgressed
long before dawn’s early light




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged ,
21 Oct 2018

house sparrow


they come and they go
these brown and grey passerines
small and plump and
multiplying throughout millennia
successfully occupying six continents
including continuously subletting
caramel corn tin house
inconspicuously hanging
outside my window




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
20 Oct 2018
4 Comments

this one’s on me


I’d been meaning to give you a call
meet up for a drink and talk
poetry and race cars

I’d no idea
your love affair with the mississippi
but then again I should have
put two and two together
when I had the chance

today your pastor tells me
you broke some sort of world record
yesterday
and I respond (to myself)
how this doesn’t surprise me

why I never called you is beyond
my understanding
and as the gathering begins singing
‘how great thou art’
I sneak out the back door
determined to find you at your favorite
watering hole




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
19 Oct 2018
3 Comments

bucket list


you fill the bucket
then you empty it
time and time again

you walk barefoot through village
basket atop head and well-balanced
curious children scurrying along
multiple guessing what must be inside

you empty the bucket
then you fill it
time and time again

you finally reach home by midday
made of mud and straw and love
all the children stopping their guessing
quietly sitting and awaiting a miracle

you fill the bucket
then you empty it
time and time again




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
18 Oct 2018

October Winds


There’s good reason the wind’s
gone crazy this time of year
a time typically reserved for
pause and serenity and reflection

I’ve known this part of the world
counting days immeasurable
only recently interrupting dreams
once ever so pleasurable

October winds ushering change
welcomed or otherwise
providing comfort to the living
offering light onto the fading




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
17 Oct 2018
4 Comments

story of my life


up and down
and down and up
that’s the story of my life

what’s that noise
just outside the door
a bark
a meow
an unexpected package
a girl scout selling thin mints

doorbell rings
I get up and walk
through the kitchen
and family room
mumbling beneath my breath
this better be good
this better be good

door opens
nobody’s there
I look at my feet
no dog
no cat
no package
no cookie salesgirl

before closing door
I look all ways
up and down
and down and up
from side to side
straight forward and behind
shaking the cobwebs
out of my head
and gradually regressing
to my former state




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
16 Oct 2018

off the charts


it’s not like you haven’t dived deep before
searching for treasure or love or knowledge
your mind unfocused and wandering
occasionally skyrocketing

you’ve scouted for places to rest your head
you’ve loved and lost time and time again
unload any notion of second guessing
brace yourself and securely strap in




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
15 Oct 2018

mirror for the soul


black on grey aviator high in flight
solitary and void of thought
soaring and sharing potentialities
to shadowy souls down below
their earthbound eyes
transfixed at effortless emotions
smiles forming and fingers pointing
curiously considering the possible
inevitability of one day doing the same




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
14 Oct 2018
2 Comments

I don’t want to die today


give me the gun
the lady with the english accent says
(demands actually) at the young person
pointing a finger at her

intermittent tears start to escape
from the corners of the young
person’s eyes
slowly creeping past her well-
defined cherry red cheeks
beginning to touch the corners
of her upside-down mouth

I won’t I won’t she responds
nervously but defiantly
you ruined everything
with your so-called utopian teachings

the woman with the english accent
begins to talk in a language
the young person with the gun
can maybe understand
non-threatening and nonsensical
yet sounding awkwardly comfortable

and as the sky begins to cry
ever so softly
the gun is altogether abandoned
and the world
(as fragile as she is)
is momentarily at peace




october two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged ,

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