Leviathan
Once we put snow tires
on the old beat-up Cadillac
she suddenly turned into a Leviathan
tearing through the elevated city
january two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
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poetry by j matthew waters
Archive for the tag “transformation”
lying in wait
I had a fever
knocking me down
to my knees
calling me to rise
above a dark past
I had a fever
prohibiting deep sleep
forcing me to face
long nights
in restless rebellion
I had a fever
bringing to light
dedication required
to escape
interminable realities
I had a fever
nearly killing me
sublimely reintroducing
ancient energies
that lay in wait
december two thousand twenty-four
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the cure
embedded inside a cloud
I scanned the ground below
absorbing the color pigments
into my own virtually brown skin
darkened by an unrelenting sun
I squeeze oils out of the cloud
rubbing them on my body
instantly feeling a warm relief
a sort of self-medicating ritual
leaving me feeling better
about myself & the world below
the panacea spreading like wildfire
may two thousand twenty-four
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reborn into the confluence
one day I won’t be a burden
spoken about on rare occasions
about hummingbird feeders
the old convertible in the garage
some stories will be harsh
others fatally funny
near death experiences retold
—the runaway character
the recluse looking down upon the sea
I never expressed final wishes
but once imagined being a tree
planted along the cedar
just as she succumbs to the iowa
april two thousand twenty-four
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sublime
by gently heating
it’s possible to convert
certain substances to gas
only to have them condense
back to their solid state
by way of cooling
what tricks are these
and what purpose do they serve
wouldn’t it be grander
to raise someone or something
into a state of excellence
in a spiritual sort of way
w/o the need of temperature
manipulation
february two thousand twenty-four
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waiting at the station
there is no test at the end
only a brief darkness
followed by a reality that cannot
be explained using words
uttered by mere mortals
as if witnessing the birth of a child
for the very first time
—only this time the child is you
october two thousand twenty-three
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the ceasefire
it is peaceful
inside the war room
mainly due to the lack
of any military personnel
in front of the south window
a betta swims
in a heated fish bowl
while on the outside sill
a juvenile raven peers in
october two thousand twenty-three
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oh mercy me
I saw what you did there
changing your spots into stripes
thinking nobody would notice
of course who am I to talk
having shed my skin so many moons ago
back when I was granted clemency
by the powers that be
seeing the world from new perspectives
I saw you going into the woods
and I was sure you’d never return
at least not in my lifetime
of course I followed you in
not as your weaponized protector
more like a casual observer
curious in witnessing
the mystery of divine intervention
I saw what I saw
the blind man said to the snake
the former having left his former self
february two thousand twenty
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transformation embraced
now that death is upon us
the curse of darkness has been lifted
replaced by a faint light
gradually expanding in the dead of night
fear not the universe next door
having frequented your once lucid dreams
providing glimmers of hope
when otherwise preoccupied with despair
closure is but a paradox
like a cold case begging to be unwrapped
if for no other reason
than as a reminder you’ll always be loved
november two thousand eighteen
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annual transformations
stranger is the night on halloween eve
like a mad scientist creating in the lab
saving face from an alien race
growing wings like a common housefly
aspiring to be an angel for one sad girl
laughing quietly behind closed door
time travelers get lost exploring
mountains or underground tunnels
designed to keep you trapped inside
spherically-shaped revolving objects
nothing to hide and everything to gain
he loses himself beneath her skin
stealing mind and body and soul
invisible wires tied to extremities
october two thousand sixteen
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the treaty of good riddance
let go of the anger
leave it at the doorstep
ring the bell and run away
there is no room for it
anywhere or anymore
all it does is drag you down
leaving you
and everyone around you
exhausted
let go of the anger
and reach out to someone
in need
someone you’d never thought
would need help
or someone on the other side
let go of the anger
and instead practice humility
and patience
and gratitude
start proving to yourself
you can live without it
and be someone better
than you were the day before
think of the restraints anger
puts on your life
how it prolongs your depression
and reinforces your addictions
preventing you from ever truly
enjoying the benefits of positivity
hospitality and endless creativity
think about it
think about how losing your anger
would be the best thing the world
would ever know
food will taste better
the air will smell sweeter
and those streaks of light
racing through the sky
will be nothing but beautifully peaceful
january two thousand fourteen
copyright j matthew waters
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