jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters

Archive for the tag “spring”

14 Jan 2024

when the levee breaks


once the snow melted
the waterways swelled
one tributary feeding the next
from stream to creek to river to street

it would be a mess
how spring had sprung a major leak
flowers sprouting
despite nearly drowning

fish displaced inside businesses
situated within flood zones
shelterless children using spears
to bring home the bacon
for mama to fry

the way things were going
the season of regeneration
was on the verge of perpetuity
all those affected beginning to ask
if the normalcy of summer
would ever arrive





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

Posted in Fishing, In the City, Nature, Poetry and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
14 Dec 2023

Imprisoned


Feet of snow grows colder by the day
Rays of the sun reflecting brightly but
Powerless — like a King
Locked inside the winter palace
Impenetrable until the February thaw

Summer drought spoiled the harvest
A taste of regret left on the tongue
The King calling upon his God
To protect and provide
—What fortunes await come Spring





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

Posted in Micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
22 Apr 2023
2 Comments

Taming of the Lion


April is nearly over
& I’m mowing the lawn
in lightly falling sleet
that stops & starts
like a cat not knowing
if she wants in or out

The underbelly
of the cutting machine
cannot efficiently or
effectively mulch the wet
& overgrown grass
causing it to cease
every few swaths

My neighbors must think
I’m some sort of idiot
giving the mower
a good talking to
while on my knees
clearing the clumps
with my gloved hands
hopefully pulling the cord
for the very last time





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

Posted in Animals, Poetry and tagged , ,
18 Mar 2018

I’m about to break


spring is near and so are tears
sorrow giving way to joy
as it’s prone to do this time of year

looking back sitting on the edge
how words make no sense
thoughts dissolving into ignorance

energetic god of light awakens
thawing you from your misery
casting you back onto the streets
where you begin to flourish again

scattered like a flower’s seed
you resurface in cracks and seams
like an unexpected child

and those forgotten words
seemingly buried in the past
suddenly burst onto the scene




march two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , | Leave a comment
13 Apr 2016
4 Comments

first signs of spring


everything came out of hiding
except of course
that which devoured
the other thing
like the worm to the robin
or the flower to the deer

trees blossom above the concrete
dwarfed by sun-hungry high rises
giving temporary shelter
to angels warming their wings

rising above the surface
transitory spirits take to the streets
assessing what the winter had done
by taking a simple counting of heads


april two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in In the City, Poetry and tagged , , ,
04 Apr 2016
10 Comments

fighting solitary confinement


there’s no reason to cry
but go ahead if you want to

there’s nobody around
not in the parlor
or the kitchen
not even in the sunroom

if you look outside you’ll
notice it’s bright
and quiet
and windless

it’s early spring
but it feels like late autumn
and this feeling
hits you in the gut

something tells you
something’s not quite right
a subtle reminder
there’s work yet to be done


april two thousand sixteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,
23 Feb 2013
14 Comments

the wonderful smell of spring


i walked outside
on a warm spring day
and smelled chocolate chip cookies

they must be coming from next door
i thought
so i moseyed to my neighbor’s back door
and knocked and waited
to be let in

my neighbor didn’t come to the door
so i walked to the kitchen window
and held onto the ledge
with my fingers
pulling myself up so my chin
rested on the ledge
the heels of my feet off the ground
lifted by the power of my toes

there i saw two sheets of
chocolate chip cookies
laid out on the counter
untouched and looking delicious

i wondered why my neighbor
didn’t want to share
her brand new cookies

i walk away
saddened
the smell of the cookies
lingering everywhere





february two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry and tagged , , ,

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