Author Archives: William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

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About William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Award-winning poet, playwright, and essayist. Author of three books of poetry, "Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass: Remembrance of Things Past and Present"; "Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats"; "The Black Feminine Mystique," and a novel, "Streets of Rage," written under his pen name Easy Waters. All four books are available on Amazon.com. Waters has over 25 years of experience in the criminal legal system. He is a change agent for a just society and a catalyst for change.

Review of my book, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, by Norman Leer

Posted on October 12, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Following is a review of my book, “Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass,”when it was first issued, by Norman Leer: “…this poem is a powerful expression of black anger and despair.  Waters clearly knows his history…  I’m impressed … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, Poetry, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Three Erics

Posted on October 10, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Three years ago, when I turned 50 years of age, I wrote a poem in the tradition of Ginsberg’s “Howl!,” talking about what had happened to some of the best of my generation. I titled it “Celebrating Fifty Years of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fathers, Growing Up, Malcolm X, Uncategorized, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prison Stargate

Posted on October 5, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

A number of years ago I was on a panel. Jan Agostaro, a fellow poet, was also on this panel. We were doing a poetry reading of poems from prison when the subject of Reentry came up. Jan described the … Continue reading →

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Juror B in the Zimmerman Trial

Posted on July 26, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Juror B in the Zimmerman trial came out and said her heart said something different than the law and the verdict. Really? A standard charge in almost any criminal trial by a judge is: “As jurors you are solely judges … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Reflections on Black Patriotism

Posted on July 12, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I remember, in the summer of my life, when my blood boiled, as hot as the sun, with righteous indignation at American injustice. This, from a native son, a born and bred Brooklynite. I remember, in my youth, questioning Black … Continue reading →

Posted in Black patriotism, Justice Chronicles, Patriotism, Revolution, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Statue for the Unknown Slave Woman?

Posted on July 5, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I was watching the news, and saw people at the Statue of Liberty, which was reopened today, the Fourth of July. Many people commented on this statue as a symbol of freedom. And it made me think of that other … Continue reading →

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What I learned from my mother about tolerance…and appreciation

Posted on June 18, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Growing up in Marcy Housing in Brooklyn, one of my neighbors was gay. Everyone in the building knew this. Everyone accepted this, because this is who he was. I won’t say that everyone in the projects accepted this, but most … Continue reading →

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Superman and a Little Girl’s Imagination

Posted on June 16, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I am walking down a busy Brooklyn Street when a little girl sees me and says, “Superman to the rescue!” I strike a pose and walk, not fly away. I am wearing a Superman tee shirt, and I feel Super. … Continue reading →

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Fathers’ Day

Posted on June 15, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Fathers’ Day is tomorrow. Nowhere near as many cards, gifts and flowers will go to fathers as Mothers’ Day . In fact, Fathers’ Day, after Mothers’ Day, is anticlimactic. Nonetheless, fathers are important in any equation when we talk about … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Fatherhood, Fathers, Urban Impact | Tagged | Leave a comment

Reentry is an Odyssey

Posted on June 10, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Odyssey, the epic poem by Homer and the second oldest extant work of Western literature, is a reentry story. It is a story about returning, of trying to get home, of how hard it is to return, of how … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, Osborne Association, Reentry, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment