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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “Poetry”

12 Jun 2023

dreaming to death


to not think of death
would be a lie
the way in which
turning on my imagination
—the top ten ways
repeating in a dream
each one worse than the next

in the middle of the night
I awake in a panic
the knife at my neck
the blade facing the other way
turn it turn it I say
please end it now

the villain dressed in black
wearing a half mask
eyes colorless
presence odorless
the voice as familiar as my own
emotionlessly saying
no this is far too easy
I believe I’ll let you live
to tell the tale
yet another day





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dreams, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
11 Jun 2023
1 Comment

good reason to pause


motivation in hiding like a child
waiting to be found

clues like breadcrumbs
swept to the wayside

they’ve traveled this far
unlikely to succumb to any element
thrown their way

most times life goes on
but when a breath is suspended
there is good reason to pause





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
10 Jun 2023

back where I used to be


something has me under a spell
so much so it’s unnoticeable

there is fish to be caught
dirt to be kicked
there are mountains to be climbed
rocks to be skipped

they say something skips a generation
but it’s not the insanity card
I’ve gone looking for the what
since learning
it’s entirely attainable

I’m not where I used to be
though my orbit is small
second guessing what I know to be true
I find myself back
where I used to be





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
09 Jun 2023

filament


flower within flower
reaching skyward
filament supporting stamen
supporting nourishment
the whole world invited to partake
enjoying their fair share
void of intimidation
a kind of harmony that shouldn’t ever
be taken for granted





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
08 Jun 2023

Copilot


The closest I could describe it
[which I’ve never seen or felt]
would be that of a magic carpet ride
—an invisible one at that
navigating far from the ground
out of the city & over the fields
veering & twisting & accelerating
passing through unbelievable clouds
commandeered by the all-powerful
and me the copilot




june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
07 Jun 2023

the power of the tools


the fog machine broke down
& there wasn’t an able body
around to fix it
—they had all gone off to war

without the fog machine
[the elders lamented]
everyone left behind was certain
to die a quick or slow death

day by day the drums drew nearer
the children gave rise to thought
abandoning the fog machine
& focusing on unleashing
the flood of the century





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , | Leave a comment
06 Jun 2023

after new year’s eve


they moved the farmhouse
into town some sixty years ago
three stories of memories
packed neatly in tight corners
— a number of dead bodies
once discovered throughout

the new owners hadn’t been told
what they got themselves into
but it’s just a matter of time
before finding out

the rest of the story remains to be told
calendar days by association
— february thirteen
october thirty
december twenty-four





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
05 Jun 2023

moon after midnight


what does it mean
when the moon is dressed in red
is she in pain or sorrow
or a reason for celebration

do you remember
when she once ran away
a boy & his dog giving chase
— how she disguised her visage
void of any color
as if hiding from herself

stars like wallflowers
wander without much thought
the lady in the mirror
appearing now & then
revealing just enough skin
enticing curiosity





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
04 Jun 2023

in full search of the fallen


there is much left to say
but I find myself muted
somewhere in the woods

I didn’t ask to be here
rather I was called
a voice I thought I knew
eloquent & enticing
reminding me of my youth
or a prior life

having arrived at the region
I was meant to reach
I sit on a metal bench
and wait for the sky to change

the voice has left me
replaced by the stream
the spirit of the sky
descending upon the earth
in the form of parachuters

though not quite rested
I am back on my feet
rewiring the frequencies
in full search of the fallen





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
03 Jun 2023

she loves me she loves me not


I’m lost inside a rose garden
the one I never promised you
my only preoccupation
now that I’ve become a wanderer

come fall maybe I’ll cut them back
or maybe I’ll turn into a snowbird
giving them the freedom
to fend for themselves

looking at my hands
wrinkled & sore & ever useful
I’m reminded of the reds & yellows
living & dying like clockwork
on occasion one or two held captive
inside my failing heart





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
02 Jun 2023
6 Comments

rumors & facts circulate like they always do


nobody said it would be easy
as they ran for the hills
a host of tornadoes on their tails
the taste of sulfur on their tongues

the weather radios ran out of juice
maybe twenty years ago
though interruptions kept recurring

the children know best where to hide
their knowledge immeasurable
ever since the flattening
of the learning curve

what’s next is nobody’s business
weather balloons competing
with drones & killer kites
rogue rockets taking off from cornfields





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Aliens, Poetry and tagged , ,
01 Jun 2023
1 Comment

tripping & skipping


you often wonder
standing on the edge
looking past horizontal signposts
how any of this could possibly change
anytime in the near future

but you know better
often resorting to escaping the present
ingrained into believing
leaving your body is an experience
far from impossible

as you skip from one place to the next
nobody seems to notice
whether you are coming or going
— especially those
who thought they knew you best





june two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
31 May 2023
2 Comments

the uninvited


they entered my house unannounced
dapper in blue uniforms & purple berets
sporting steel-tipped boots & cotton-white gloves
—silver stars pinned to shirt pockets
pistols in holsters & papers in hand

they acted as if I wasn’t even here
the three of them moving in unison
methodically going from room to room
one taking photographs
another taking notes
the leader giving orders via hand signals
opening drawers & cabinets
an occasional cough & chortle

when they went upstairs
I stayed on the main floor
& when they never returned
I decided it was no longer safe to stay here





may two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Aliens, Poetry and tagged , , ,
30 May 2023

the anarchist’s daughter


I’ve lost my place in line
after grapefruit went out of season
walking back to the car
I hear people asking
sir are you alright

nobody’s around
but back in the back alley
boys & young men
cast lots for rocks
march off to their next ruling
& brutal execution

[how I know such things
is nobody’s business]

it’s almost always about who
not when or where
or even how
torture is torture
whether concealed by a shroud
or orchestrated in broad daylight





may two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
29 May 2023

interstellar communique


invisible hands mend broken thought
sweeping what can’t be salvaged
into the recycling bin

roses now grow
in the ditches of abandoned roads
colorful vegetation
wild & plush
painting over what used to be

faraway atop dilapidated roofs
angels eat lemons
waiting on their orders
pointing at the darkening clouds

the names are transmitted via waves
one after the other
an ever-expanding virtual list
of those who may be saved
followed by all the others





may two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Dogma, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
28 May 2023

our turn


where did the magic go

there must be mystics or chameleons
passing time underground

at times diligently at work
plucking ideas from upside down trees

leaves without color
toadstools without souls
garlic & turnips & parsnip

reinvention is impossible without
extended periods of unconsciousness
like alaskan brown bears do

awake
awake
it’s time for the good news
tell us the magic has returned
and is here to stay

tell us it is finally our turn





may two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

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