When people learn
to think for themselves
Authority becomes
unnecessary
What’s happened once
upon a time has vanished
—nonexistent even in
any grand scheme
At some point Truth becomes
the only Authority
at which time the Heavens
will certainly collapse
april two thousand twenty-five
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
In totality
the impending fury
becomes unstoppable
until nothing is left in its wake
when lies parade the streets
as truths
marching in lockstep with hypocrisy
it’s only a matter of time
before conversations expand
exponentially
clawing at and ripping apart
said supposed truths
and so the forest fire starts
as a single spark
long before the inevitable
is about to take place
taking down
in an instant
that which was thought to be
forever sustainable
december two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
nobody knew there would
be a test today
not even the teacher
a bomb threat forced them
to vacate the premises
and they set off on foot
to the amphitheater
on the west side of the
tree-lined river
it was there they exposed
their souls
one by one for some
others two by two
and even three by three
queried intensely
of life & death
in the end left to choose
either truth or dare
creativity had no limits
in what became
a sacred undertaking
where birds of different colors
sought the safety of the trees
experiencing the discomfort
of the tragedy
and the relief of the comedy
of the spoken word
filling the open air
december two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there is a path not as well worn
as it ought to be
having gradually become overgrown
by nature herself
camouflaging a once prevalent truth
having stumbled upon it
sickle in hand & spirit in thought
you’re drawn toward the babble of the stream
where the truth continues to slip
through the fingers of most
december two thousand twenty-one
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the forwardness of the day
and the unpredictability of the night
carries on in perpetual motion
like a universe continually unfolding
sparking the purest electricity
out of the tiniest of matter
april two thousand seventeen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
why have all the scholars
and scribes and high priests
why have they sealed up the
words of the prophecy
exposing their selfishness
and secrecy for all to see
I have scaled the city walls
and found a new world
where the seeds of truth
sprout from my cupped hands
and water flows like a fountain
deep within the desert
june two thousand thirteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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