I knew once my skin had broken
things would be changing quickly
I quietly ducked down below
to retrieve a sweater
arriving back on deck I felt quite
comfortable beneath endless starlight
in my mind I was witnessing a new
moon rising half-way across the world
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
be still thy heart and think of me
whenever summer breeze
brushes up against your face
long and weary are road and sky
going solo in search of love
virtual destinations unknown
time sits motionless inside looking glass
like magical portal to new worlds
casting lasting impressions
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve no idea where you’ve been
but you keep telling me I appear
in and out of your crystal ball
I hadn’t checked on my horoscope
in over a week
mostly because I kept getting it
wrong on a daily basis
There is this map room I’m not
supposed to know about
even though it appears
to be common knowledge
I decided not to go there
instead stuck to my instincts
walking along the riverfront
like I do most every night
attempting to connect the dots
buried deep beyond the stars
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the cease fire was nothing
more than fake news
declared by gluttonous warlords
seeking enigmatic furloughs for
scores of armies needing to be fed
meanwhile acid attacks continue
at an alarming rate
terrorizing a cautious citizenry
keeping pace with an expanding
and luxurious underground
whole cities no longer exist
while even more slowly crumble
subjected to a stronger will
and dying to be rehabilitated by
way of artistic interpretation
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve not been eating for a few days now
and yes I feel perfectly fine
the bananas on the counter have
been ripening nicely
I’m just waiting patiently
until the peels are beautifully black
I stopped eating potatoes years ago
replaced by a voracious
appetite for bright red cherry tomatoes
we always said we’d meet up
somewhere in northern california
or portland oregon
maybe for a day and a few nights
before taking flight to Fiji
from there we could go anywhere
as long as we ended
exactly where we started
according to both our DNAs
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there’re so many ways to keep score
you do it your way I’ll do it mine
those thousands dying from war each day
could care less about climate change
cool winds and secret agent men
come and go from man-made skyscrapers
continental shifts and breakaway ice
only separate us more
tug of war versus mother nature’s pull
nobody’s always winning
today’s swords turn into swallows
flying high at the magician’s command
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’m going to take them with me
each and every one of them
I’m going to box them up neatly
like the prettiest set of flowers
ever assembled
and present them with humility
to the spirit of the skies
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
mighty clouds bulbous and swelling
swarming through dark starless skies
spinning tales of menace and fear
choosing who lives and who dies
little ones crisscross through cornfields
chasing monarch butterflies
free of cares above or below
on this earth or otherwise
what keeps your faith resurrecting
my dear flower of surprise
oh how you entertain greatness
amidst the deceit and lies
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
rumor had it Sir Isaac Newton
moved back downtown
ate and drank and conversed
amongst the commoners
early in the morning he walked
against the grain
waving at joggers he met
along the way to green square
there the rays of the rising sun
warmed the giant circular sculpture
made of copper and radiating
and there he sat
taking notes and making drawings
looking up and looking down
and looking straight away
convinced he could solve it all
if only he had more time
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it seemed like yesterday you said
fear sweet talking people
steer clear their way
but the next day you were gone
abducted some say
by an alien troupe
months passed before we decided
to sell your stuff on ebay
(except for the whisky and blue jeans)
though later became confident
it was you who bought them
each year on the eve of your disappearance
most all the neighbors
put a candle in the window
but as time passed
nearly nobody knew why
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
what she needs is a spade
to rid herself of thistles
growing deep along the foundation
chopping them down with a sickle
certainly won’t do the trick
but I’m not gonna say a word
lest I be ridiculed
perhaps there’s nothing tragic
going on about the weeds
could it be that their flowers
are simply misunderstood
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
we could hear the bell tolling
clear like stars at midnight
but it was midday
and the sun was hotter
than it’s ever been
and the horses were in the barn
resting after having been run
all night long
I’m not going back out
I said to the others
and none of them answered back
it’s not that I’m quitting
I went on to say
opening the cellar door
it’s just that there are so few of us
and we are all in need of
filling our bellies
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you reach out and touch things that don’t exist
it’s something you always did
and something you’ll always continue to do
I speak of things in past tense because
living in the moment is just too much
except when it is absolutely idyllic
sometimes you step backwards
just to see if it can be done
and I say to you
there you go again turning back time
I’ve grown old too many times
but it doesn’t bother me anymore
how I can recall your name with a
snap of the finger
even though I’ve never met you
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
There is loneliness in your words
but your vocal chords
tell me otherwise
I swear you’re one of me
a scorpio without a doubt
but you insist on saying otherwise
refusing to show me
your driver’s license or caller ID
Oh but that was so long ago
in a world that barely existed
how we refused to face the music when
we danced alone
hundreds surrounding us
We are like Lily and Bee
having come this far
nothing to sacrifice
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I could care less about fireworks
or trips to poland
or face to face meetings between
elected dictators
the neighbors look especially cautious
having invitation-only block parties
and seemingly grinning at those they hate
I wish I could forget about the wars
but with all this weather going on
it’s just a perfect reminder how
thousands are dying before their time
tipping points may or may not come to fruition
but in the meantime dramatic world-wide
crashes are certain to spawn modern day prophets
declaring the next golden age is at hand
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
she told me I needed to go do
something before dinner
so I went to my room and prayed
she was my mother and
of course there was no room
but regardless I left the
premises and prayed
along the way I found interesting
things to pick up
but each piece I brought home
served no purpose
you should stick with praying
she said
and so I agreed
july two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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