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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “Poetry”

27 Feb 2024

living on the edge


In a sense we are all doomed,
even if we stay away from black holes.
~ Stephen Hawking

the purple mime
practices his craft in the city center
a square space of grass
& concrete & active imaginations

there he scales the tallest tree
having transformed himself
into a spiderman
finding himself higher than the
tallest nearby building
the spectators looking upward
hands over mouths

using not a single word
somehow he explains
how he’s reached the event horizon
& that possibly
quite possibly
not even escape velocity
could save him now





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
26 Feb 2024
2 Comments

living vicariously


I’ve come to learn
my existence is a universe
passing thru time and space
at speeds comprehensible

the mother tells me
not to wipe my sweaty & dirty face
with the belly of my shirt

the father contradicts her

they won’t stay long
but rather settle into a world that’s closer
to the black hole
not far from my beating heart

I’ve come to learn
my eyes are pristine seas
untouched by man
my hands
miracle workers in the arts & sciences
my mind like a satellite link
to adjoining cosmoses

living vicariously is not an option
not when the security
of the universe
is at stake





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
25 Feb 2024

dead bug


pretend you’re a may beetle
or a june bug
and somehow
you’ve found your wing casings
upside down on the floor
suddenly becoming immobile

now with your legs
in a tabletop position
stretch one out & down & back
repeating & alternating right & left
both arms reaching toward the ceiling
later allowing them to do
what they will
as if you are dying a slow death





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
24 Feb 2024

living past the winter


we haven’t a clue who’s in charge
for all we know it could be
the drug cartels

it’s a miracle more aren’t dead
considering the ongoing conflicts
keep going on

news on the weekend is scarce
given all the sporting events
& other entertainment

there seems to be plenty of canceling
going on these days
whether they’re vacations abroad

or entire swaths of territory
victors undoubtedly taking the spoils
just like in the good old days





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , | Leave a comment
23 Feb 2024

magic number


it doesn’t matter what I think
it’s all about the rooster

I’ve always thought ten or twelve girls
is a few too many for one
or maybe even two

but then again it matters not
what I think

some say it has to do
with what you’re trying to accomplish

whether or not
you prefer eggs
or chicks
or cock fights

of course having many roosters
works when it works
of course that is until it doesn’t





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
22 Feb 2024

how things will have changed


the way we see things now
is but a distant memory

the rivers
the lands
and the seas

[as you know
not all things appear
as they seem]

think of the dream
the one dream
unchanged over a lifetime
the rivers
and the lands
and the seas
exactly
where they’ve always been

by the time you awaken
all of it has been put back into place
and you imagine starting over
is a distinct possibility





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
21 Feb 2024
2 Comments

a virtual family meeting


going off the grid
appears to be
the easiest way to escape
all the violence & insanities
surrounding us
—and even then
even then there’s no guarantee
we’d still be alive
in this war-infested world
yet another year





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , ,
20 Feb 2024

Surrender


The skies were blue
meaning the school children
were outside again
observing
& learning

Used to be it was like an accident
when the sky was blue
some calling it
an (once-upon-a-time) omen
a second coming of sorts

After so many years
the skies were blue again
perhaps an anomaly
inherited from antiquity
redefining what it means to surrender
this day & age





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in History, Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , | Leave a comment
19 Feb 2024
2 Comments

at daybreak


they were frantically gathering sticks
kindling to save the fire
having burned throughout the night
and the watcher
the guardian of the flame
had fallen asleep
only to be awakened by a fallen angel
seeking redemption
commanding the watcher to sound the alarm
and thus all of the children
sprang to their feet
running into the forest to face
the shadows of the past
inevitably saving the village
from any threats within





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , ,
18 Feb 2024

no fame to bear


I’ve been busy
practicing my breathing
and counting to ten
starting over when
lost in thought
or making it to the end

I’m fine with dying
in obscurity
my drive for change
often buffeted by the wind
that uncontrollable force
[nine times out of ten]
making you pause
and contemplate
the world around you

the breathing & counting
will not broker peace
though it may take you
into new perspectives
such as how the mind
may not necessarily
be reliant upon the body





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
17 Feb 2024

on leaving the door unlocked


she took up half the couch
small glass dish atop her lap
shelling pistachios efficiently
directing each discovery
into her mouth

it was around midnight
the three of us seemingly
invading our own townhouse
having spent hours
painting the town pretty

our sudden entry didn’t seem
to interrupt her rhythm
calmly letting us know
she believes we live
three doors down





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
16 Feb 2024
2 Comments

before their time


it’s a fine line
your lot
give or take
plus or minus
right place at the right time
or conflictingly
the proverbial wrong one

it’s not just where & when
or by whom
it’s every single turn
accumulating
always introducing
the next scenario
a soldier in a jungle
a runaway on an airliner
a widowed grandmother
saying the rosary
in an otherwise empty chapel

those able to dodge
the constant barrage
of gunfire
& accusations
the lines on their faces
multiply & deepen
[over the passing years]
a reflection
of the many
taken before their time





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
15 Feb 2024
2 Comments

brain surgery


there is work to be done
will you take the time
to do it right

that novel you’re reading
don’t let it get away
there is something special for you
at the very end

I hear the rose-building sessions
have done you wonders
soon you’ll be surprised
what you can do with legos

the hummingbird glass blower
recently arrived from arizona
asking if you’re still around
of course I told him
you’ve worked your way
back into the game
by way of reinvention





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
14 Feb 2024
2 Comments

a failed Seinfeld segment


when we arrived at the party
Jerry put me in charge of the ice

I said yeah sure whatever

I strolled into the kitchen
to survey the situation
only to discover some two-bit actor
guarding the ice

hello I said to her
how’s the ice situation here

it’s cool she said it’s cool
but if you want some you can’t get any

why’s that I asked

I don’t know she replied
but it’s what Jerry wants





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged , , ,
13 Feb 2024

A cat sits on his pillow at the picture window


Looking outside for hours at a time
he doesn’t understand
what’s happening in Gaza
let alone the entire Canaan territories
he only sees the alien cat colony growing
centrally situated kitty corner from his gaze
seemingly expanding day by day
a band slowly working its way
north by northeast toward Lebanon





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Animals, Micropoetry, Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
12 Feb 2024
2 Comments

recognition


in the shower I sang sad ballads
I once knew by heart
one of which made me cry like a baby
until I shook myself
to attention

having finished soaping &
rinsing my body
after having shaved my face & neck
I started singing again
which of course led to more tears
—a clear indication that somewhere
down the line
I had softened into this person
I barely recognize





february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,

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