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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “Poetry”

17 Jul 2018
3 Comments

summer of sixty-nine


so we were roaming out back at twilight
swigging orangeade and
swatting fireflies into oblivion with the
palms of our hands

someone from the inside yells
‘you leave them insects alone’
and we said
‘damn your eyes’
they got no place else to go

out in the open field
children run half naked
fearing for their lives
pretending to be fireflies
steering clear of predators
holding mason jars high




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , ,
16 Jul 2018
2 Comments

candles burning


I’ve been locked away for days
recovering from nerve blocks
and a brief episode of the blues

seems I’ve been giving of myself
blindingly and with regularity
not taking into consideration
what’s right with the world

repeated jabs to the gut have a
way of wearing down shadowboxers
not conditioned to go twelve rounds

midnight has long come and gone
and now I find myself (once again)
right back where I started
relighting the dark side of the moon




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
15 Jul 2018

Amnesia


I’ve been living these past few years
under the influence of previously lived lives
reminding me how I am never alone

Inspiration is drawn from many sources
depending upon what century or era
you found yourself most struggling
not understanding exactly who or what
picked you up when you were down
or how you had survived that fiery crash

But here you are once again alive and well
learning from past mistakes and living
your new life ever so precariously




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
14 Jul 2018

out on work release


I had this vision I would bring
cold beers to prison workers
paving county roads
temperatures exceeding
one hundred degrees fahrenheit
bright orange shirts drenched in sweat

I had parked in the shade half an hour
before quitting time
kept the pickup idling with the AC on
beers in the truck bed
iced down in the big red cooler
ballgame streaming on AM radio




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
13 Jul 2018
5 Comments

mapping a new course


it’s early but I’ve got all night
pretending there are words
to stitch tight and scars to retrace
for no other reason than to pass time

time is a killer and has always been
especially to those preoccupied
studying mirrors expecting to find
openings through impassable roads

so many roads we’ve traveled alone
but I swear this one will be different
far-reaching and beautifully winding
leading us forward without precaution




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
12 Jul 2018

after the saturday morning rains


in the morning church bells will be ringing
and ambulances will be screaming
those dying search for a higher purpose
finding themselves on their knees
praying man and bride complete the
transformation by becoming one

universe changes at a pace
incomprehensible to the human brain
traveling at the speed of light when
shut down for the night
only to awaken in quicksand
convinced there is no way out

outside the double doors an odyssey
awaits your arrival and departure
cautiously you step out into the open
casting your eyes directly overhead
spiraling steeple pointing to a place
you understand more than you know




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

the world as they know it


reflections bounce off anything they
can get their hands on
such as inner-city skyscrapers or
twenty-story tall christmas trees
leading you to believe they could be
just about anything
like below-the-radar superheroes or
earthbound souls in search of love

a windy night pushes a fuzzy moon
out into the open
all the little sleepwalkers looking skyward
pointing past the stars
their eyes and mouths wide open

they’ve not seen anything like this before
the ancient dome dropping upon them
they reach out in acceptance
as if trying to catch a baby
falling from a burning building
the world as they know it
collapsing upon them




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged ,
10 Jul 2018

as you watch the world expand


do not fall for the trap that is time
for she has never been a foe
but more like a partner in crime

she has erased so many records
that have haunted you along the way
covering up your misdeeds
and replacing them with lies

it’s easy to stop remembering
but impossible to forget
how the morning air flowed effortlessly
as you surrender to a brand new day

there’s a cancer seductively resting
deep inside your entrails
biding its time but perfectly at ease




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
08 Jul 2018

sunflower


there’s this story I’ve told
ever since running away from home
and for whatever reason
it’s never grown old

oral traditions are alive and
well in so many cultures
but in my small space few listen
leading me to believe
my story will gradually fade

unexpressed emotions remain
buried underground but very much alive
skipping this season and
perhaps the next
one day breaching the surface
when least expected





july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
07 Jul 2018

three thirty in the morning


I awoke from a dream and
asked the good lord
is this all there is for me

how it seems I’ve failed
at giving and forgiving
nurturing and teaching

what does it all mean
this thing called love
inclusive to the fortunate
but elusive to those who need it most

why do they shun it
why do they turn the other way

how the sun shines upon every
living soul
giving power to some
and taking away everything
especially to those
unable to take care of themselves




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
06 Jul 2018

assassinations and suicides


I’ve been lost so many times
it’s a wonder I’m still here
inconsistently running away
only to return to mixed reviews

do not put much faith in open arms
they’re a far cry from open minds
let alone open hearts

I’ve long lost count of shady characters
played on screen and in real-time
stealing my past lives and
replacing them as their own




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , | Leave a comment
05 Jul 2018

one warm winter’s night


you come to me as a spirit
poking and prodding and
whispering sweet discretions in my ear
but I am fast asleep like a bear hibernating
periodically shivering
but mainly motionless and soundless
secretly enjoying a series of
interconnected dreams
leading me from one kiss to the next




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
04 Jul 2018
3 Comments

born again in america


this life of mine does not belong
to me anymore
having recently been acquired
by some god called freedom
courtesy of another
government-sanctioned auction

I was hoping not to be put back
on the block again
but I have no options now
not since the man who was
supposed to marry me
has mysteriously disappeared

I keep telling people I came here
alone and on my own accord
but truth be told
I was just one of many
and now I find myself praying
everyone else will be born again




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

murmurings of a would-be humanitarian


I didn’t ask for any of this
yet unwittingly contribute to confusion
spoon-feeding the blessed
and ignoring the poor
sleeping through the worst of nights
everyone else running scared
scrambling for air

I was there the night Santa
was a no-show
and all the misfits cried themselves lifeless
suffering from dehydration and
exhaustion and loneliness

for a few dollars a month you could
make a difference
proudly walk manicured streets
well-lit at midnight
a picture or two in your wallet

at corner cafe sitting at table for one
you discuss politics and wars and
supreme court decisions
telling yourself one of these days
you’re going to board a plane
and really do something about it




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

sentinel on patrol


how they come and go
these fleeting romantic thoughts
ebbing and flowing like the moon herself
incoherent like a far away dream
dying to be understood

rocket ships continue to blast
from this world to the next
feet firmly planted near the lion’s gate
preserving ruins of a love
that was always meant to be




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

from this world to the next


I witnessed you entering this world
I myself on my way out the door
undone by assassinations
and conspiracy theories
stories wound tight only to
unravel like some flawed mystery

there is no relation between
you and me or your unwed mother
I just happened to be at the
right place at the right time
having recently discovered my soul
roaming from room to room




july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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