in the shower I sang sad ballads
I once knew by heart
one of which made me cry like a baby
until I shook myself
to attention
having finished soaping &
rinsing my body
after having shaved my face & neck
I started singing again
which of course led to more tears
—a clear indication that somewhere
down the line
I had softened into this person
I barely recognize
february two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
the man in the street
consumed by moral injury
has come to memorize
the many moods
of a complicated moon
the night air freezes over
making nature’s carpets crunchy
—naked trees giving little comfort
as the heart rate slows
to an all-time low
handouts are hard to find
especially when freedoms
continue to sail away
like helium balloons
let loose on new year’s eve
december two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
they swept the homeless
off the streets
a project city officials called
operation relocation
days later
a dozen bulldozers
rolled into the landfill
& within hours
questions started flying
november two thousand twenty-three
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
there exists a presence always felt
but never seen
like an invincible god showering
the northern sky with constant light
fallen stars awaken from beneath the earth
moving northward along the shoreline
garnering strength along the way
taking on new shapes and sizes
first crawling
then swimming
eventually flying beyond
the house of the clouds
multitudes from all corners gather round
marveling at the aural phenomenon
praying for the prophets
and the preachers
to return to the land
so that they may understand
exactly what is happening
april two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
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