" Sticks "...

" Sticks "

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán
In Honor of Florence Marie
In Memory of Anton James

Sticks as flimsy twigs seen at the cusp of spring
true-blue pigments on the edge of extinction
"It's here! You can smell it!" as primary suspects
for resurrection once and again without question

during "de-extinctification" efforts
far from new developments
passenger pigeons wooly mammoths
institutional grants for lost habitats

driven by dearths of data and not-so-empty nests
for fully fledged penguins gone hunting for themselves
in worldwide networks as viruses return and diseases emerge
like shorebirds with distinctive shrieks sequencing species
via whistling underwings and distinctive orbital rings

ducks and geese paddling quickly across shallow ponds
towards Himalayan snowcocks large and stocky
low clucking shrill cackling jungle fowl spectacular marsh
harriers fore-dawn bat hawks stilled waters herons stalking

gliding soaring pulling it off out walking
corny side burns being shaved off in dance halls pizzazz un-ignored
revisiting retooling rebooted art schools while making silent movies
for super-nerdy wasteland futures like murky stews in cartoons
with cell phones set on "mute" for super-human classical music
hectoring brass whistles and whip cracks as savvy trappings
for gaudy and grand skeletons prancing harp and piano thinning out...

" Hoping "

" Hoping "

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Hoping to catch the red eye among advisers

where loyalty precedes experience 

by administering officials of a high populace

while endangering autonomy

via social media's angry masses

repudiating research practices

for ghost-written weed killers

helping to unwittingly

finish final films winking

over mysterious disappearances

asking, "Is it really any of our business?"

reading ravishingly

gilded nonfiction

as exchanged endearments

whispering anonymously

over hot beef and barley

sipping corn liquor

smoking brisket

offering free recipe tips

with and without seaweed

boiled whitefish in sanctuary cities 

tracking civilian atrocities

questioning Roundup's safety

" Who's podcast is this anyway?!"

" Give me strength! " stamping flamencos 

lacy and long trained on stage wizened with age

and violent gesticulations youth meets sage

right out of the gate right away

in rigorous yet gracious adaptations

when dread is pervasively beautiful and devastating

as actual places seen under the table wasting away

in sharp focus examining grasping talons of raptors 

holistic immaculate tableaux sharp shouldered getting stoned

long foretold like kept composure from the days of olde...

" Closed Off "...

" Closed Off "

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Closed off at sold-out performances of requiem choruses

having thrown down the gauntlet into disputed territory

all the more raw sneaking beneath bed sheets

crimson rashes flaring experiencing persistent badgering

being denied access beasts left intact wreaking havoc

slithering and gathering swatting and scattering

for larger forebears sadly seen as our far-better halfs

ultimately abandoned during aftermaths

as hashtags gone mad searching for answers

still grinning at prospects of the optimists

talking and laughing sitting on stairs 

during writing classes though not exactly

standing out peeking out at name tags

being scanned as student badges

handing stories back and forth over healthy snacks 

looking like leading characters 

having coined reality via quantum mechanics

as seemingly bizarre facts waving white flags

from here to there over blocks of unexplanatory matters

passed hand-over-hand through springtime air

taking chances bouncing balls of rubber bands 

over winding grassy paths ringed by silver-leafed saplings

with crypts built into the background dedicated to gratitude

and human frailty feigning heroic acts secularly encountering

coronets on carriages traveling to the hereafter 

via postcards and stamps stressing symbolic aspects

meekly and sadly unimaginable inexhaustible galleries

gasp upon gasp immortal master Townsend's Solitaires

with exposed tails across mountain grasslands

being widely scattered as harsh "chiks" 'n' "chaks"

of short dry chatter paler drabber brown thrashers

brushy habitats russet backed fieldfares 

piping nightingales pipits wagtails flashing wing patches 

black caps sharp rattles high chaparrals 

on the spot and on the fly billowy instincts single-stringed

transformed tragedies golden-haired wailing now declared

via conversational manners midway through tasks

fanciful and abstract from distant galaxies of fire-branded tales

kind of splashy only feebly critiqued like indie pop medleys 

brief and catchy unabashedly upbeat provocative whimsy 

insistent riffs culled as bits of atmospheric overtricks...

" Measuring Up " ...

" Measuring Up "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom &Mom-
Mom Suzán

Measuring up as a such-and-such
while keeping in touch no matter what
" Did you get the memo? "
like a slightly apologetic " in-betweenie "
missing link pointing out paucity
patchy and incomplete

exhibiting weaknesses
plucking out theories
deemed big possibilities
using clawed fore-limbs
evolving into wings
considered to be a big feat

venomously non-lethal
as the oddest thing
getting ready to sing
being kept in stitches
still in transition
written in Greek
rather than Latin

earthbound
underground
safe-and-sound
sweet 'n' fatty
queens of ants

wild forests grasslands
intensely managed farmland
family trees forming canopies
hundreds and thousands of fields
and pastures leaves termites and beetles

entomology small crawly things
unusual peculiarities biting stinging
vectors of diseases beeswax silk and shellac
valuable scavengers beautiful animals

scarab-backed reproductive capacity
introductory chapters how-to structured habits
flattened laterally sucking mouths
widening thoraxes forked tails wings overlapping...

" Against " by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

" Against " by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Against a wary FED full speed ahead yet tapping the breaks
while raising benchmark rates but expected to remain at 1%
being pre-empted by reigned-in investments not bargaining on heroine
posting new threats not knowing what the hell comes next
in the "Age of a Television President" impugning predecessors

as euphemisms for "poisoning the waters" as matters of course
tweeting scandalous tales of supposed facts both on purpose
and by accident needing to adapt like "Dirty Rats"
as scavenger's survival tactics after being hacked for bounty
via wiretapping reality series streaming freely
like data-driven honey traps and algorithmic interactions
brandishing unwanted facts and taking up the slack
during cool downs having been snagged by storage clouds

roused like slumbering animals lashing out
heating up buzzer-beating overall seeds
of selection committees week-by-week
leaching toxicity helped by lobbying
for public parks garnering "harmory"
extensively rethinked as states of emergency

re-emerging into safe spaces of green
for must-see genus and species
planting both feet with room to breathe
a la ubiquitous Plan Bs
surviving almost anything
with tricks up our sleeves
as anything-but-routine
like entire phylums of creatures
bafflingly transitioning
genuinely eery and all-too-real...

" Endlessly"

" Endlessly "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Endlessly thrilling
compulsively readable
not weirder
than we imagine
as mammalians

like "Winnie-the-Pooh Bears"
and gelatinous zooplankton
half-and-halfers flying flashers
for mud dragons creeping as unclad snails

with the stillness of salmon
not alone on our own planet
living in the follicles of eyelashes
as myths to carry for new-fangled
animals summarized as "perhaps-
traveling-antics" exotic and passionate
wham-bammers eating light snacks afterwards

due to paradoxical
circumstances
of simple facts
made available
from "somewheres else's
of not exactly alphabets"

for unconventional methods
left unmentioned
but perfectly effective
as unsharable advantages

kept at hand even long after
lackings in understanding
from ancestors to forebears
divided neatly in two halves

sometimes baffling
like unawareness
while making eye contact
deemed body language
with strong accents...

" Conjuring "...

" Conjuring "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Conjuring monsters
for pale blondes
met head on by jagged
glistening shards
cast solemnly

metal carts of props
house lights on
shimmering scarves
exhumed plots
prominently
turbocharged
human dolls

gone shopping
much pondering
while administering
arsenic via optometry
spectacles being
bequeathed
eyes weakening
hinting at poisoning

like quantum leaps
into bittersweet
biographical history
split over seasons
modalities of harmonies
soft to the skin
suddenly misfitting
monologue-filled
plaintive singing
turning pensive and fidgety

whatever mockeries
are being watched
closely based on novels
upon being rushed to hospitals
in a heroine's operatic synopsis
deemed unstoppable
right from the start
stomachs tied in knots...

" Could "...

" Could "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Could herald
a shift in ties
along softer lines
that shake violently
while impeaching enemies
reminiscent of missile crises
as crossings decline

from the under side of life
promising to hire quibbling climates
on websites showing no signs of quieting
caught trying to avoid prior alliances
of "never-minds" yet remaining divided
by false pride sticking to official lines

during the "best of times"
instructed to resign
tumbling after denials
of less-than-likely
strivings to re-unite
despite rising barrel prices
as tests for advertisers
warning clients
about self-driving rivals

facing "hard times" from seafood suppliers
paying heavily for funds tied to crimes
via multiple enticements signing
on well-fortified dotted lines

owned by oil giants with infinite shelf lives
being subsidized post retirement
surging to record highs by dilating irises
grown for high-society licensing
stealing ideas mindlessly following the leader...

" Mired "

" Mired "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Mired in infighting over climate declassified
heightened anxiety via baptisms by fire
while steering 4-wheel drives
into pared-down environments

smoky global skylines
spheres conjuring viruses
jagged shrinking shorelines
limited human lives

never-quite re-quieted
by abstracted lines along low-tide
dark horizons bleached white
travel diaries written on deadlines

something of improbable cottage industries
spotting the floppiest flops as worthwhile curiosities
leapfrogging gossip columnists bottleneck strikes possible
for personal shoppers identities desolving in matter-of-fact plots

like scavenged ships-in-bottles full of hardships
left unacknowleged and unstoppered by trashy goings-on
leaving nothing to chew on
except helicopter napalm from spinning choppers

pumped-up blockbusters featuring monsters
Godzilla versus King Kong
tragic captors other-half prowesses
rouéing rainy weather

meteorological misadventures obsessive storytelling
incringing bitternesses merged lessons of history
predictive terrible endings capricious tortured memories
relentlessly rolling closing credits...

" Staying Mum "...

" Staying Mum "

by Suzán Jiván  Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Staying mum among marble sculpture 

rooted in the courtyard of the Louvre

suitably lampooned in cartoons

bringing suit for the oddly cool

being granted by brand-new continuances

for running shoes plus handy hoodies as proof

rethinked in baby pinks each spring season

as fashion creeds trending like creds 

of subverted genders in semi-transparent 

outerwear trends seen as particularly fresh

multi-directional rain-repellent checks

architectural ruffled denim

encircling glitter-specked long necks

of evening dresses as a sexy get

plus additional comcennuses

of certain chemical elements

successfully present processing potentials 

like tightly packed cells expending energy

once having been sequestered then worked out genetically

selectively harvested as young fronds from farmers

calcium and phosphorous with protective properties

along serpentine barrens of incised patterns

harrow's discs and tines along narrow aisles

throwing genetic dice on seed sizes ripening 

over time for hybrids in neophyte wilds

like horned rhinos eating leafy material

while lacking front teeth becoming close to extinction

both black and white species ear fringes tail bristles

armored appearances thick grasses dense reed beds...

" Air-Eating "...

" Air-Eating "

by Suzán Jiván 

Mom & Mom-

Mom Suzán 

Air-earring leaves

with the tenacity of trees

from nearby nurseries

revealing dark green beads

gradually ripening

bitterness being redeemed

by the sweetness of peels

as secrets of plants under glass 

upon trespassing on sanctuary grasses 

having taken the dare of unfair advantages 

revealed by Snapchat cameras

for high-fashion standards 

like users' guides typified 

by intergalactic spiders

of the visceral kind 

weaving right in style

via plunging necklines

being caught in their sites

by unrelenting types

supposedly memorizing

then regurgitating rhymes 

for the world to redefine

during moments of silence

intellectual reliance

being pre-ordained 

like elegiac writings

stupifyingly

pulled aside

line-by-line

pupils dilating

in moonlight 

mythically

twinkling eyes...

" Doubts Abound "...

" Doubts Abound "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Doubts abound
spawning tweetstorms
as the mother of all
unendorsed under-reported
notorious software

all according
to the fallout
from feisty loyalists
allowing leaks
couping anti secrecy
conspiracies

hacking abilities
minus partly-redacted
attachments
all along off ramps
speeding into dormancy
surging illegally
over last legs
of final journeys

detouring
from border
crossings
across hotbeds
of foreign intrigue
worrying stringently
over far-reaching fears
of violated sovereignties

seeking clarity
as spirituals
and anthems
morph into chants
claiming cures
for trafficking jams

heard as muffled gasps
due to budget slashes
seeking sources to new lands
bare-rooted transplants...

" Set Backs "...

" Set Backs "

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Set backs wiretaps judicial rollbacks
insisting on spying despite denials
expecting fights from enemies and their allies
sitting idly minus oversights swiped from private files
nefariously posted online via digital devices deemed, "Easy-As-Pie"

spreading wings widely pointing bills to the sky
high stepping waving goodbye dozens of times highly ritualized
circling high missiles firing over nesting sites staggering crises
sharp declines rising blitzkreigs of light stars dying

becoming visible to the naked eye sweeping
like lighthouse beams of cosmic material
shaped like torpedoes breeding after a winter's sleep
waking up early during reasonably uncanny on-camera briefings

grilling nominees for Grand Old Parties
arduously threatened by blocking suffering consequences
recently re-partnered cooperatively conjuring sweet spots
awkward waddles of the populace never stopping

seeking health and hardiness sharing of nests under threat
during " data rescue " events tracking down the rest
linked by directories automatically copied
publishing logs internet's promise solely exotic
documents preserving many a marvel
irregardless of wishing on shooting stars...

" Bold "

" Bold "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Bold promises coming off
like "micro- targetted" just talk
unique "psychographically"
rattling as advocacies
via unleashed browsed histories

just like conspiracy theories
plus stolen IDs in between
universities and slavery
being vigorously policed
by defying gravity
and handily revamping big hair

being rifted in skits of ironic ilks
supporting spirited distancing
on Twitter and Reddit mixed in
as masked societal stand ins
scavenging for rants
after travel ban catastrophes

displayed in glaring galleries
multiple arms flailing
looking "pretty bad"
for under-reported poorer sales

idiosyncratically feeling unromantic
undergoing trafficking while tanking
during cherry-picking shrouded in mystery

throbbing underneath blandly pre-fabbed
electric chairs scrambling more than
our fare shares donning "wash-and-wear"
using fish shot in a barrel as the gold standard
for panache well after getting, "the clap"...

" A Concept "

" A Concept "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

A concept deeply embedded
in "gimme shelter" lacking intent
while skipping ahead undocumented

biblical references up ended
without discretion
turning to the back entrance
widely affiliated with deaths

left unprotected
like theological imperatives
for unsettled nonmembers
focusing in retro

proposed aggressively
perceived threateningly
feelings of fear
and vulnerability

evoking grandeur via long stanzas
through leveled embattlements
of gladiators past saddened
in ample shadow without distraction

overcome by perhaps
as rapture for the masses
of dedicated naturalists
vanishing thereafter

being taken to task
by early travelers
within small chapels
sparingly lifted veils...

" Easy "...

" Easy "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Easy projects changing
from flannel to cotton
planting cabbages and collards
bathing and combing cats
planting dinner-plate dahlias
flipping and rotating mattresses
Clinique happy heading for grassy paths
with toothsome simple fare
sorting paper and plastic rejuvenating chants
carrying stylish button bags
making napkin rings with magnets
while out-scampering mortality
livelier spirits prevailing stringing lanterns
over pots of annuals uncovered patios
casually radical as all things glamorous
bigger windows magical whole walls of glass
superior wear nail enamel staying natural
unforgettable cranberry tequila triple sec
whipped-up batches salted glasses
snaking parallels digging around
with a trowel tapping rubber mallets
expanding and contracting flows of traffic
for party packs with miror backings
well-seasoned casts meticulously caring
no questions asked spring romance
in the air of globe masters parades and dancing
with modern flair fueling passion
out of amazingly little in still lifes seen lengthwise
like lightly buttered slices
white parts of leeks in three-inch pieces
one large bay leaf whole eggs
giant beefsteaks smooth chickpea paste
hors-d'oeuvrés and canapés filled crepes
corn- husk rectangles seasoned to taste
meringues perforated ladles lean bacon...

" A Tale "...

" A Tale "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

A tale
of plucky luck
masked ducks
ruddy ducks
old and young
wing beats
rapidly buzzing
sharp squeaks
thin tweets
muffled
popping series
feet running
lightly clustered
diving ducks
breeding
non-breeding
very distinctive
white-winged
thin whistling
over-wintering
rare visitors
escaping captivity
stocky and dark
relatively large
white head spots
easy marks
tundra ponds
Harlequins
rising twisting
yodeling over
shallow open oceans
diving motions
wings tightly closed
green-winged
blue-winged teals
shallow weedy
feeding on seeds
quacking deeply
wings rattling
striking patterns
straining plankton
very plain gray legs
dabbling aquatic plants
swimming in pairs
domestic variation
undertails
reedy laughing...

"Disruptive Energy"

" Disruptive Energy "

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Disruptive energy
theatrical gestures
framing of heads
as moments of respite
put together by inheritors
now dead to gripping effect

like incredible hipness
intentions blending
interdependently
deemed excellent selections
of shifting identities

strung in succession
sneakers and denim
tour essentials for pitchmen
blue blazers white turtlenecks

" It's about timing "
alongside and behind
put into a new light
much to the likes
of a real find in star shine
strobing lighting
beneath belts of Orion...

" Divided "...

" Divided " by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Divided climate sciences rapid fire worldwide
bulldozers backhoes five times over
age ceilings holding right down to wardrobes
fast forwarded betting on rapid growth
showing every road paired with clothing
worn from home reinforcing personas
as garments owned on overload via art shows
from the smallest to the oldest

with rascally grins of nonfiction taken to the limit
of global modernism imparting immigrants and academicism
indigenously filtered seen in miniature risking diminishment
of objectifiable specimens by altered aesthetics
from silver gelatin experiments offered as deft assessments
rippling with unsettling intensity curated by our exceptional selves
in striking silhouettes loosening color senses
sexy and empathetic nevertheless just as important as anything else

even less transgressive signed letters on black velvet
while taking years to process delicate sketches
on boxes of cigarettes deemed assemblages on resin
for solidified evidence of mythological extremis
monstrous yet compelling atmospherically rendered
photosensitive impressions attracting collectors
in discreetly expensive A-Line dresses with political bents...

" Much the Same "...

" Much the Same" by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Much the same seeking safety as stances of vagueness having two aims
white flags waving while playing, "My Way" invoking guardian angels
of balky lawmakers saving birthplaces yielding fossil formations
in the making via stagnation of market gains with little need for major-
label rule makers from unexplained places contemplated at arms' length
as dwellings for castaways on rainy days for trouble makers

hallucinating out of range of economic gains being seen as crazy
during rebranding campaigns feeling their way restrained over decades
of lowest common denominators mimicking mixed tapes turning the tables
raising pulse rates rarely penetrating pre-calculated phrases by appropriation
of jaded calculations precipitated by high-decibeled interpretations

think headed round faced known for overly exaggerated dizzying arrays
of telecommunications with completely grown-up takes of civic engagements
for tie-dyed-flower-child favorites while cross pollinating observations and here-say
without a minute to waste mixing myths and mistakes bobbing in landscapes
of smoldering clay effectively segregated within windowless staircases

fifty students per grade weekend escapades detrimental to aims
in quarter-hearted sorts of ways being regularly confiscated
as hopeless cases yet left uninvestigated like plucked leafs along the way
covered with three pairs of legs elongated walking adult stages
across abundant vegetation growing glaring wing venations
during brief reigns becoming extinct by nature via degradation of place

unable to save face ascribing blame to slow maturation rates
and adaptive radiation far from endangered nonhuman primates
snaring spots on cereal boxes from tough outer pods nothing dainty about tarts
butternut squash chives and parsley thoroughly washed sautéeing garlic
for spicy pasta sipping a Scotch backward gardens top-restaurant psychology
served immediately this dish is a keeper ice cream with whiskey...

" At Odds"...

" At Odds " by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

At odds headstones toppling voices disguised and garbled
prompting police departments in tourist shops and tattoo parlors
as workers forgotten by sin stocks in branded properties
skewering companies sowing beans with high yields
the rest is history with high yields looking at ink so richly

wine dark kidneys swimming
in liquid by virtue of tradition
with little publicity making all the difference
via outsized committees disturbingly familiar
gilded mirrors and crystal yoga positions
on Moint Olympus losing rigidity

needing a bath badly no kidding
light-footed whimsy white-knuckled journeys
seismic activity little revisionism let me think
pushing boundaries taking on a choreographer's repertoire
in a gray leotard being executed properly
by elaborately garbed partners princesses and swans

as anonymous servants of art incarnate
no stops no starts like the constancy of dancers' apple cheeks
by the skin of their teeth cast dazzlingly during pep rallies
for the humanity's crunch seasons endearingly reconfigured
via heavy lifting seen at a distance soaring on whistling wings
with short bursts of speed but seen only briefly

when we think of velveted destinies
from hot springs harboring bacteria
gaining energy counter-intuitively
like filter feeders from tropical reefs
contradicted by discovery
outstripping possibilities

taking the shape of daisies
round greeny-brown tangled canopies of hazel
aerated and drained virtuosity of nature
spotlighting of game gazing on floodplains after rains
old-fangled fragmentation bootlaced  Milky Ways...

" Unzipped " ...

" Unzipped "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Unzipped World Cup bids
travel restrictions  crash-filled wins
knees and backs stiffened
pell mell practitioners
still in it getting hits with a stick
fastest pitches in 10 innings
swinging sizzlers gleeful trips
infield injuries survival of the fittest
claiming victory with great difficulty

caution flags checkered flags
reigning champs lap after lap
"I'll be back!" overall standings
races to spare squandering chances
unanswered prayers hapless bans
fallen fans cited examples
passing to prevail, "It's a mess out there!"
setting up clashes witnessing massacres
fitting patterns of the extremely unfair

internationally sanctioned
unveiled budget plans
seen as setbacks to second chances
for acrobats being taken to task
while leaping backwards at the climax
like scandalous airbags from scaled-back
fabricated test data harder to hack
catchy mismatches of signature chain mails

in gunmetal gray and gold lamé
puff sleeved and graceful
setting the pace in remakes
of funnel shapes segueing
into dangly pastel shades
abstracted back stage

donning natty jackets with scant elbow patches
for real-life battles of head-scratching
affirmative action in paperback calamities
despondently conjuring all-conquering mortality
with glaring sentimentality reigning supreme...