most care little
about running out of space
there’ll always be a patch
to plant pumpkins they say
always a spot in the wilderness
to build a log cabin
the bigger problem
most everyone seems to agree
is about running of time
at least living on this planet
with its natural resources
dwindling by the minute
may two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s widely known
there’s no time to lose
yet the urgency
in matters of great importance
seems to matter not
afterall
the reverberation
of inaction
rarely stands to reason
instead sucking up time
as if it’s of no
particular consequence
the sheriff
was quoted as saying
the murder case
would never go cold
simply because time was on
his side
december two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
inside your watercolor eyes
people temporarily forget
their once weighty
earthly worries
behind your blue eyes
a calmness exists
lighting the way in this
never-ending journey
past your failing eyes
time never dies
reinventing itself
into a stand alone tree
december two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I am not what I seem
a broken clock on a shelf
stuck at 11:19 and 19 seconds
it matters not if it’s morning
or night
the broken do not know
the difference
and if they tell you that they do
they are liars
when time abruptly stood still
I learned to walk about
without having to use my legs
spending hours inside the cathedral
deciding which station
I loved the best
and hated the most
[impossible
I would tell myself
for without time
there can be no hours]
I once believed they were
angels
communicating with me
in a language of vibrations
one I learned to comprehend
all on my own
but now
I am not so sure
november two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
just give it time she said
and walked away
[never to be seen]
perhaps a paradox
I remember thinking
but gave no vocal response
ever since I’ve crossed the desert
sailed & flew & climbed
finding a few solitary places
—for there is no place
to be but alone
when silently
agreeing to give it time
september two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
passing the test of time
is an impossible endeavor
if ever there was one
let’s dig into the past
explanations
layered one after another
facts & tidbits
clues & black holes
striking gold
unfolding new worlds
there is no time there
and when you’re weighed
down by the body
it’s critical to keep the
big picture
into perspective
in fact it’s essential
that you’ll not tell a soul
what it is you know
and precisely when
it’s going to happen
may two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
time bleeds
pauses for no reason
and a scab forms
people come & go
and I am right there
intermingling amongst them
not really thinking
simply doing
like a dedicated army ant
time bleeds
stopping by applying
pressure
making origami
tourniquets
shutting it down
at least temporarily
time bleeds
a passed on genetic defect
a character flaw
an embarrassment having
to leave the show
for no apparent reason
incapable of discovering
the beginning or the end
I’ll not retire the thought
that what I don’t yet know
will one day be revealed
may two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
isn’t it always a matter of time
before the next big thing
whether cutting edge or horrific
the wait is far from long
isn’t it wild how a glorious idea
can be conjured in solitude
and distributed worldwide
by way of an invisible wire
isn’t it a crazy kind of love
that hits you smack in the face
when looking the other way
leaving you breathless
april two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
In the photograph nothing changes
it’s what separates images from reality
and laughter from tears
Sometimes it gets ugly inside
‘a winter of discontent’ if you will
but you must face it head on
repeating mantras & bad daydreams
knowing full well the latest malaise
will somehow pass
undetected
Nobody knows you anymore
and you’re perfectly fine with that
working in the underground
chipping away by
rewriting history
courtesy of some distant energy
october two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
dating with time
the forever young man
dances with the ancient princess
gray-haired & lithe
the night could not
possibly last forever
or so she whispers in his ear
seducing a smile
but of course he has
countless memories
having survived the rise & fall
of many an empire
september two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I imagine as the years pass
change appears to quicken its pace
when in fact all along it’s been this way
from the very start
people are passionate by nature
though by many varying degrees
hiders & seekers alike
attempting to vainly save themselves
or selflessly saving others
we can stampede much faster
than one or twenty horses
kicking up dirt & turning the landscape
into a horizontal blur
or methodically slow things down
to a virtual crawl
wiping clear the skies & undoing
the end of time
september two thousand twenty
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’m sitting in a rocking chair
next to the bay window
paralyzed
a ray of light shining through
warming my hands
inside a clock is ticking
a fire burning
eyes shut tight I listen
to the house settling
as finches gather
in nearby spindle tree
I’ve watched the cycling
of the seasons
for so many years gone by
seemingly
from this very place
where the passage of time
simply stands still
february two thousand nineteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
it’s early but I’ve got all night
pretending there are words
to stitch tight and scars to retrace
for no other reason than to pass time
time is a killer and has always been
especially to those preoccupied
studying mirrors expecting to find
openings through impassable roads
so many roads we’ve traveled alone
but I swear this one will be different
far-reaching and beautifully winding
leading us forward without precaution
july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
do not fall for the trap that is time
for she has never been a foe
but more like a partner in crime
she has erased so many records
that have haunted you along the way
covering up your misdeeds
and replacing them with lies
it’s easy to stop remembering
but impossible to forget
how the morning air flowed effortlessly
as you surrender to a brand new day
there’s a cancer seductively resting
deep inside your entrails
biding its time but perfectly at ease
july two thousand eighteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
I’ve secluded myself or
shall I say excluded myself (from others)
confined to a modest space
somewhere in Phoenicia
surrounded by stained glass distractions
which keep out the harsh daylight
only to reappear much later as
illuminated decorations of the night
There is no time for sleep and
cloudless nights make for lighter work
problem solving triangles
and troubleshooting new moons
piecing back together romances
from far away places where future
discoveries withstand the test of time
january two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
little paper moon inside
my watch pocket
keeping time like I never knew
changing from sliver
to full without being seen
brightening and fading
like a kiss from my little girl
wishing the world would
always stay brand new
august two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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