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poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “sadness”

27 Oct 2022
2 Comments

underestimation


I’m a songbird
without a song
whispering sweet
nothings

there is sadness
in the silence
this much I know

I’m a songbird
without a song
listening for a clue
on a windless night

but there is only sadness
in the silence
this much I know

I’m a songbird
without a song
underestimated
and determined

turning sadness
into a melody
this much I know

practicing wetting
my whistle
until the morning light





october two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Birds, Poetry and tagged , , ,
26 Oct 2021

when something needs fixing


there is sadness in the water droplets
dripping from the wind chime & into
a silver bucket half full of dirt

someone is already dead
buried in the blurry past
misremembered for bad deeds
& false accusations

the dog & cat ran away from home
uncertain if in concert or on their own
leaving behind bells & bones
& broken memories





october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
27 Jul 2021
4 Comments

last of the morning sun


she furrowed her brow
the girl with the brown hair
she pouted & she smiled
brushed back her brown hair
using either hand
& slowly walked away

what does she see
when she walks away
suddenly it’s present tense
& I sense tears
welling in her eyes

she is sad she is sad
there’s no question with this fact
she is sad
she is sad
the cause of her disconnect
unknown to any of us

she sees nothing
when she walks away
neither past nor future
the present tense
is all there is
& by the look in her eye
nothing seems promising

why did she furrow her brow
or pout or smile
& why did she suddenly
walk away
when everything
appeared to be so promising





july two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
22 Jan 2021
5 Comments

as palatable as sadness circulating in the air


there is sadness in the air
but in order to hear it you have to
shut everything down

whether it’s inside or out
of the body [or the house]
depends upon the strength of the sun
or the brilliance of the moon

follow me or lead the way
into the orchard
where seeds are plentiful
and temptations are as palatable
as sadness circulating in the air




january two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
07 Oct 2020

post modern pandemic


interesting times often lead those
living barely on the surface
finding solace in dark & sullen places
often where fallen angels convene
discussing in greater detail
their strongest of all desires
and their willingness to obtain them
at all costs




october two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
10 Jul 2020
2 Comments

if you call I’d be forced to show my hand


I’m a witness to my own sadness
but I swear you’ll never see it

as you may have guessed
I’m good at keeping it all to myself

I’m selfish that way

you may ask me if I’m doing okay
& I’ll tell you of course I am

for you see the sadness
comes & goes just like the wind

isn’t it funny how that works

today was another b-plus day
much better than yesterday

but as for tonight or tomorrow
that’s still up in the air

if only you would call I’d be forced
to show my hand




july two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , ,
12 Jul 2014
25 Comments

artificial visitations


sadness used to show up
unannounced and we’d sit up
until sunrise drinking
whatever was left in the house

I kept telling myself the next time
he appeared out of nowhere
I wouldn’t let him in
but of course that didn’t happen
and he continued to pretend
to be my friend

I told him I was thinking about buying
a brand new puppy
a black one I said
so I could learn how to keep him at bay
and teach him to protect me from
monsters like him


july two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , ,
22 Dec 2012
7 Comments

outside my window


peering out my window
clouds gather around
and darken
a once promising
bright day

blackbirds circle above
slowly descending
and squawking
instinctively finding
shelter

thunder murmurs and moans
and i close my eyes
suppressing
a distant memory
knocking

once the showers arrive
i gaze past the pane
your image
refreshing like the rain
falling



december two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
14 Nov 2012
4 Comments

lost paradise


sit beside me my child
and listen to my story
where all the people
of the elusive valley
live in harmony
and die in peace

sadness beheld
my child’s eyes
as she cried in disbelief
certain my story
of the elusive valley
had been blown
to smithereens



november two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged , , , , , ,
14 Oct 2012
9 Comments

missing you


innocence is regrettably lost
when exposed to a virtual world
bent on glorifying decadence
through intense selfishness
where powerfully dark forces
can bring an angel to her knees
sending her somersaulting
beyond gravitational forces
that keep this planet in place



october two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
29 Jan 2012

Whispers of Sorrow


We drove through the cemetery
in the dead of winter
until we found the blue canopy
flopping in the wind

Many inches of snow had fallen
the night before but the plow
had cleared the lanes

A bright sun and dress shoes
hit the asphalt with purpose

As many as a hundred faces
converged on the canopy
in steadfast silence

Gusts of wind arrived from the west
and tossed snow off the roof
and onto the gatherers

Familiar prayers were recited
between coughs and sniffles
and one woman’s weeping

When a bugler played
a familiar lullaby
the vacant faces drifted
in varying directions
whispers of sorrow filling the air




january two thousand twelve
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

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

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