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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “Poetry”

02 Aug 2018

the interview


she asked me to talk about myself
and I started off by saying
I didn’t know where to begin
but I’ll pretend as if I do

off course it was a loaded question
so I proceeded to take a deep breath
and quietly backed away from the ledge

I was a middle child and therefore
often left to my own devices I said
further clarifying I work well independently
but can positively strive in groups as well
should circumstances warrant

slowly she blinked her eyes
nodding smilingly
taking the end of her pencil to her chin
politely asking me to proceed
and for a very brief moment in time
I felt as if I had been down this path before
had already lived and breathed
inside her complex company




august two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
01 Aug 2018

five hundred pieces


the creation does not manifest itself
without mindless coordination
between hand and eye
without hours of problematic troubleshooting
deliberately testing pairs of pieces
that appear to be identical

as days & nights pass by
I find ways to make each one brand new
unsure what my next move may be
but certain to find that one tile
capable of instilling inspiration
or uncovering a moment of mastery

    the piece I possess
    will unlock all the mysteries of the world

    the piece I possess
    will reveal all our earthly perplexities

unsure why the effort ever was initiated
fully aware the completion is only a beginning
I sort through the five hundred pieces anyway
confident that the opening of the
multi-dimensional looking-glass
will produce an image I’ve longed to understand




august two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
31 Jul 2018
7 Comments

the artist and I


we will cross the river
the artist and I
and we will find a new outlet
to call our home
and we will sleep as one
falling in and out of
romantic daydreams
evening sun hiding her
eyes behind decorative fan
rising moon reaching out
to gently awaken us
so that we may create again



july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , ,
30 Jul 2018
3 Comments

twenty-four crayons


staring at a blank white wall
you remember how once
it was covered with rainbows
and parrots and sunshine
apple trees in full bloom
and children pointing up at the sky
clouds and birds and kites
poking their imaginations

it’s saturday morning
you’re sitting in the conservatory
patiently waiting for sun
to eclipse the treeline
casting her magical rays
on your box of twenty-four crayons
anxious to start replacing
that which was washed away




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
29 Jul 2018
3 Comments

mockingbird


close your eyes and count backwards from three
and see what the world will give you

close your eyes and make a wish you’ve never wished before

to be sure your soul may be hurting but there is nothing
wrong with your sight or your heart or your mind

hush little baby and close your big beautiful eyes
for it’s time to dream of new worlds that await you

hush little baby and let loose your imagination
and whatever it is you may do
please don’t you cry




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Dreams, Poetry and tagged , ,
28 Jul 2018

suspended breaths in retrograde


all these years I’ve denied my past
having brushed aside
my quirks and missteps as
everyday lessons
picking myself up without regret or remorse
moving forward with an uncertain purpose
as if there could never be an end

and now there is oxygen to consider
to feed those inner thoughts
reviving them so to speak
weighing good points against bad
neither condemning nor condoning
but simply acknowledging
how a young boy died to be a man




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
27 Jul 2018
4 Comments

not your final destination


I heard it on the radio
childhood memories
reformatted for the digital age
revolutionary forces
transformed from past to present
longtime secrets resurrected
playing loud and clear on
intergalactic airwaves




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , ,
26 Jul 2018
7 Comments

where trumpets blare and angels sing


illusory winds swept me northwesterly
carrying me from one destination to the next
as if I had no idea where I would land
or how I could have possibly arrived there

gravity eluded me and I wondered
whether I was dead or alive
had I mysteriously grown my own wings
soaring on my own accord
or was I hitched to the back of some
wild and magical invisible creature

approaching the magnetic pole
flight patterns give way to controlled chaos
disappearing into mystical aurora
casting me back to where I once started




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
25 Jul 2018
2 Comments

the night is endless


the day grows weary
unrelenting heat
southern winds
falling sun illuminating
quarter-size moon
rising from the east

fearful to fall asleep
morning sun comes too soon
or maybe not all
incomplete images
shuttering and fluttering
like black and white
moving pictures

I keep the shades drawn
nearly all the way
save an inch or two
just enough room
to let the rooster look in

the night is endless
this much we know
instinctively we cling
to the morning light
and celebrate
for all it’s worth




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
24 Jul 2018
2 Comments

mirror for the sun


widening curves and picking up speed
mind free from yesterday’s rearview
reminds me of day trippin’ ditty
traveling purposely with favorite allies
bags packed but mindlessly left behind

we’ve not been down this road before
but how she sure looks oh so familiar
holding tight as we lean around the bend
keeping screams to ourselves before
letting loose down straight and narrow

fm radio streaming without static
cooler in back keeping coronas cold
we chase a sideways moon sinking into sea
determined to find the end of the road
and drive a stake into a brand new day




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
23 Jul 2018

submarine missile launch


I’ve got these ideas emerging out of
clear blue skies
only to submerge into a sea of self-doubt
never to resurface again

I miss those cumulus clouds feeding
my imagination with
elephants and dragons and banana splits
earthworms and day lilies and rainbow trout
little miss muffet seated at mushroom table
sharing crumpets and tea with
black widow spider

somehow I’ve learned to live
underwater with these man-made lungs
working on new ways to rewrite the past
and making myself new again




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
22 Jul 2018
2 Comments

summer suite in downtown hilton


beneath the marquee we kissed until the crowds
dispersed and lights blinked on and off
quarter moon high above but unseen

we walked hand in hand in early morning hours
unfamiliar streets shiny and wet
counting blue cars along the way
sharing dreams and making promises
that may or may not be challenged

come daybreak we quietly settle down
high above in eagle’s aerie
well fed and resting in momentary embrace




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged ,
21 Jul 2018

small miracles


cemetery trees understand you more than
any mind reader ever possibly could

we canceled our vacation plans and instead
spent the weekend planting evergreens

chapel in the field is lit by candlelight
little women on their knees counting beads

I remember this place from once upon a time
and something tells me so should you




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
20 Jul 2018
6 Comments

Temporary memories


I’ve lost my way in search of truth
whether it be fact or fiction
questioning whether accepting more
correlates to receiving less

As years pass my heart swells
and my eyesight worsens
both troubled by the sign of the times

I’m reluctant to concede to pressure
managing to infiltrate my downtime
whether it be deep in sleep
or quiet contemplation

In the morning I find comfort
anticipating the rising of the sun
whether apparent or behind clouds




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , ,
19 Jul 2018
2 Comments

bringing clarity to your desires


despite desiring discipline in your world
you subconsciously remain unfocused
channeling your passion toward the unknown
and rubbing shoulders with forces not seen

old souls sidestepping in the shadows
just as lonely and desperate as the living
serenading their favorite verses a cappella
barely audible through plastered walls

well past midnight you are restlessly asleep
contemplating many intriguing options
playing them out in your so-called dreams
operating with full force your physical being




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , ,
18 Jul 2018

“Miss You”


out of the gate he broke a guitar string
but he kept on playing as if
nothing happened
rest of the band maybe noticing
maybe not
rhythm section cool as could be
never missing a beat

it was a guest appearance
covering a Rolling Stones song
on and off stage in a mere six minutes
and he kept shredding that Fender
E string gyrating crazily
as if it was an orchestrated
part of the show




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment

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