Some Mistakes Take More Than Mere Regrets to Mend, by Bill Waters

Some Mistakes Take More Than Mere Regrets to Mend

I created a world for myself
since you wouldn't let me live
in yours.

Tell me another story.
Tell me a better story:
Once upon a second time.

Stumbling towards reality
out of the night that covers me
I hear you, I hear you, whispering

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I want you back."

I am not empty, I am open,
floating past the days
having these delicious thoughts.

Such gorgeous stories-
the beautiful goodbye,
the weight of the secret.

Everything wants to be water.
I just had to give you back 
to the sea.

Bill Waters

Known primarily for his Japanese-style micropoetry, Bill Waters also writes ekphrastic poetry, found verse, book spine poetry, and all manner of short prose. He lives in Pennington, New Jersey, U.S.A., with his wonderful wife and their two amazing cats.


This poem is from Bill Waters' chapbook, The Luzajic Variations, an unusual ekphrastic collaboration with Lorette C. Luzajic. Waters wrote a collection of poems using only the titles of Luzajic's paintings as words. In turn, Luzajic often names her paintings from found text, overheard dialogue, and lines of other people's poetry. The poem above, after the painting below, is thus a blend of Bill Waters, Lorette C. Luzaic, the bands Lone Justice and James, Pablo Neruda, graffiti at a Toronto pub, poet William Ernest Hemley, Michael Jackson...to name a few. 

The limited edition chapbooks contain a handful of poems like this one, along with full colour illustrations of their respective paintings. There is a different painting on the cover of each book. There are still a few of these gems left- get yours for $10, shipping included, at Etsy, by clicking here.

Some Mistakes Take More Than Mere Regrets to Mend, by Lorette C. Luzajic (Canada). 2014.