we’ve been skipping stones
out of the earth’s atmosphere
and getting much better at it
like across a body of water
the rock will eventually sink
most likely to the bottom
but seriously how much different
can it be from this advantage
compared to way way out there
august two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it was complete madness
throwing blueberries into the blender
what next
peanut butter & a rabbit’s tail
a few dead triple A batteries
a mix of trail mix including
rocks & such
the wizard opens the lid
and there it is again
unleashed & spinning madly
heading straight toward your dream
cows & pigs in flight
will you awaken
or will you die
august two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
sometimes you step
backwards to see if it
can still be done
& then I say to you
there you go again
turning back time
how else are we
able to explain
the forces felt
the ones undefined
only occasionally
tugging at our sides
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
what shall we do
after we have seen it all
said the turtle
to the oracle
—shall we sail
far below the ocean
never to be seen
on land again
or shall we continue
to suffer
as we are
pretending all is grand
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Dancing is like bank robbery
it takes split-second timing
— Twyla Tharp
black spray paint to cover the lens
it’s nearly 4 pm at the ATM
the sheriff’s passed out
his deputies going through the motions
three wide awake & calling final finals
two approaching REM sleep
& one sporting a newly pressed uni
by the time she steps on the gas
the black F-150 & yellow forklift
cruise down county home road heading for
the safe house
while back on main street
the Bank of Podunk USA
is soon to find itself
down one 24/7 teller
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
a child on tiptoes
an empty pail by her side
neck bending backwards
one hand reaching for a butterfly
the other clenching a piece of sky
it’s the things you recall
that easily survive below the surface
says the voice soundlessly
the one growing restless from time to time
secretly reliant on its counterpart
carrying the pail of water
from the well at the top of the hill
the child could never be more real
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Much is going on these days this much we already know
the impossible is the New Normal
the Old One rewritten into temporarily discarded Fairy Tales
Bad Guys overshadow the Good Ones
the latter working haphazardly behind the scenes
occasionally sipping Whiskey & smoking Sensimilla
Nellie has become a distinct possibility alternating between
Home Base & Lake Geneva or outside Salt Lake City
the Cookie Monster too
his/her/their creators learning to clone in real time
he/she/they seen on Cruise Ships & Aeroplanes
a few spotted paddling along the Red River of the South
there are Time Capsules continually lifting off into space
& if you have enough Coin we may never see you again
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the problem with the world today
we’re living in the past
like a smoker who can’t kick the habit
we’re unable to quit killing
whether sanctioned by allegedly legitimate
power brokers
or straight up civilian violence
when I was a kid we played
cowboys & indians
cops & robbers
doctor & nurse
role playing because we were left
to our devices
and our parents bought us weaponry
and any kind of idol we would ask for
on sundays we were reminded how evil
we truly were
and twice or maybe three times a year
we were forgiven all our sins
come monday however
we were right back at it
perpetuating the only thing that made sense
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
forget about schooling
it feels like we’re taking
nothing but tests
one after the other
a good three years now
time & place popularly
known as alien nation
where the gods that be
pick & choose their own fights
cast out into the stars
only to reenter the barrier
[by way of meteorites]
spreading their petty hostilities
throughout all the lands
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Don’t you know
Talking about a revolution?
It sounds like a whisper
— Tracy Chapman
it’s already here
don’t you feel your life
dramatically changing
what little wealth
you may have possessed
gone like a whisper
don’t you know
everyone is running
running away
from reality
don’t you know
they’re talking about
a revolution
it’s not too late
to turn the tables
to get out while the
getting’s good
jumping ship or
leaving the welfare lines
before it’s too late
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s better to have the gloves on
you never know
what might come out of
left field
where the shadows start to creep in
around six pm
though the stadium is empty
your mind sees it standing room only
like back in ninety-nine
having lost your way returning
for a hometown match
the moon that night
was high above & bulging
as you kept swinging & missing it
until eventually tiring
setting yourself up
& knocking yourself down
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
in the next room on the shelf
there is a box
inside of a box inside of a box
sitting there like a chameleon
untouched for how long
is of no concern
—untouched and its contents
as magical as the galaxies
surrounding the milky way—
containing the code
disguised as ancient recipes
holding on to everything that’s been
and anything from the future
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
how far back can you go
it is possible to make it all the way
back inside the womb
spinning in slow motion
like a cosmonaut
conjuring all the possible ways
—to make it out
once finally let loose
into this godforsaken place
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
you put a few pieces together
and then you move on
incapable of finishing what you started
disrupted by the forces that be
either generated here on earth
or from far away dimensions
you don’t know where to go
on any given day
drifting like a grey ghost in
a technicolor world
chasing rainbows without end
ruby-throated beauties without song
what remains is what grows
this much we all know
and so let’s dig instinctively
mimicking the flying queen
burrowing not too deep underground
for as long as it takes
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
A trick question if I ever heard one
& I quickly respond with something like
sometimes it’s not who but what
[I happily elaborate]
offering WaPo as an example
who magnanimously gives me
three free articles per month
So what then
what else have you been reading lately
or may I venture a guess or three
is it MSN dot com
or Craigslist
or volumes & volumes of obscure entries
courtesy of Wikipedia
Yes oh yes
indeed and all of the above
expanding my mind a few terabytes at a time
believing whatever I consume
I’ll be able to take with me
Such as the New York School of Poets
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
Even on vacation the bombing
does not cease
heard thousands of miles away
from the glorious oceanfront
morning noon & night
july two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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