Lightning’s been striking
at an extraordinarily high pace
randomly taking out cell towers
and paralyzing parts of the grid
It seems as though everything
has become radicalized
be it politics or religion
extreme weather or world wars
Meanwhile there’s a profiteer
building a state-of-the-ark starship
locals & tourists calling him out
saying he’ll never pull it off
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
what are you doing
trying to save the world
with mere words
we seem to have broken
the language barrier
which only proves that man
has a listening problem
and then of course
there is history itself
repeating like any metaphor
you wish to use
the world needs saving
but all we seem to do
is point & pull the trigger
there is no question
that cities will burn
the question becoming
how high the count
until the next tipping point
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
all the colors on one spectrum
it’s destined to happen
just you wait & see
all the colors
she would tell me
and I would be waiting
waiting & wanting more
but that’s all she had to say
all the colors
finally I acquiesced & repeated
all the colors
and then only then
did I begin to understand
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the temperature was going down fast
but nobody seemed to notice
instead all eyes were focused
on the smoking gun
it doesn’t take long for word to spread
it’s the world we live in
I cringed when I got word
what happened in broad daylight
the world has got to get better
it just has to
I keep telling myself
but then this happens
and then that
and suddenly I find myself
more fearful than before
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
let me see
let me gather my thoughts
like I gather flowers in the garden
one precise cut at a time
there is something on my mind
it lingers like a ghost
on the shady side of the garden
I sit & wait for it to edge closer
some days are easier
than others
that is widely known
and those that are not
drop hints & clues along the way
a subtle progression
that keeps me wanting more
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
daydreaming away
rains recede entirely
eyes open to light
unsure what day it is
or what time
where did you go
& how long were you there
better yet why oh why
did you ever return
none of us belong here
you used to me tell
& what I’ve always believed
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
he had no soul
at least that is what he declared
to anyone who would listen
years ago the courts
took away his civil rights
having buried five of his bullets
six feet below the surface
anniversaries prove to be difficult
in the mass murder era
but birthdays are forever celebrated
judge & jury agreed with his own
self-assessment
making a permanent recording
of a life that was soon to end
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s not the first time you’ve chased the wind
having gone from one idea to the next
but then suddenly there is none
all you can hear are sirens
eventually winds die down
giving you plenty of time to pause
letting loose over a thousand dreams
turning sirens into your mother’s screams
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
if they get away with murder
the city will ultimately burn down
the hunger striker lives in a bubble
broadcasted from the city center for all to see
like an eagle cam recording the brood
legal betting stands to make billions
regardless the duration
or the eventual outcome
of the extended televised reality
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve jotted down a few words
looking to see if any of them
might make sense
where exactly do you find them
casual conversations
youtube videos
in-store purchasing
fm car radio
I keep saying I’m losing my mind
but nobody is listening
I’ve got so many words left
needing to be analyzed
I’d like to step into the future
just to see if it’s really there
and if I told you I don’t want to return
would you believe me
of course I must come back
but I’ve managed to smuggle
a few unknown words
along with some seeds
I was promised would keep me alive
for as long as I wanted to stay
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
as it turns out we came here to suffer
or rather seek tranquility & forgiveness
learning each day to stay alive step by step
bit by bit pieces of ourselves leave us
physical or mental it matters not
you give them names as they drift away
how many times have I lost my way
only for you to rattle me back to life
back to that once vaguely familiar place
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s 7:17 pm
and if I wanted to
I could find my own shadow
as for now
I’m content staying homebound
where I sit & wonder
where my shadow could be
in a perfect world
your shadow never leaves your side
omnipresent like god herself
who will one day
add yours to her collection
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
let’s see
what haven’t we talked
about recently
that might make you
reposition yourself
on the settee
I carry out a tray
two cups & a pot of
earl grey tea
warm banana bread
& two thin slices of
lemon on the side
we talk about how
your dead mother
comes in & out of your life
promising [one of these days]
to leave behind
a dozen monster cookies
she knows how much
I love them
she goes on to say
sipping on her tea
& repositioning herself
on the settee
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
how many times have you done
yourself in. two, three, five, eight.
if it’s the latter man oh man
be careful where you step.
are you still driving a car.
you might want to rethink that.
in fact you might want to start rethinking
a whole host of things, such as
what’s for supper and when is bedtime.
do you remember where you put your teeth,
your eyes, your ivory handled pistol.
and what about renewing your licenses:
fishing, driving, hand gun, voting.
how exactly are you
planning on doing all of that
in your forever current state of mind.
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I was collecting rocks
outside the outer perimeter
humming along ‘californication’
and randomly selecting
which ones go in the satchel
and which ones get booted
I was on a solitary mission
assigned by a power
I imagined existed
and when I returned to base
with only the best samples
I was rewarded handsomely
april two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the best of intentions
isn’t that what we say
when things go astray
when all we can do
is regret & retract
or perhaps request a do over
are you in fear of your life
for what you might say
the interpretation of your words
landing on the wrong side
of the tracks
far too many little matters
have suddenly become
major life & death cases
intolerance running rampant
in far too many places
preservations & sanctuaries
fighting to maintain the balance
march two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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