Across the Grain

" Across the Grain "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán


Across the grain
pointedly brazen
disinformation
forced into labor
in public service
campaigns


invariably irritating
bullying classmates
laughingly named,
" Bully Pullingpits "


savagely crass
numbingly vulgar
fluctuatingly
treacherous
hairpin bends
voided at the center
outsmarting themselves
with TV spreads


eclipsed by cable
and naysayers
these days
shrinking in length
like the most highly
anticipated
of coach potatoes


showcased
like thinly sliced
spuds of a lifetime
transplanted
as eyes statewide


harvested
with bull market velocity
on first come
first served bases
as unsavory
transformations of clichés


for the highest paid
modern adaptation
rising from the ranks
with heavy weight
living arrangements


seemingly satiated
by the rarified tastes
of a scarily
friendly stranger
jokingly complaining
prettily framed...