Kindly or Unkindly

" Kindly or Unkindly "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

for Stanislaus Dubowski R.I.P.

Kindly or unkindly
extroverted lives
versus virginal purity
seduction versus revulsion
jargon-free seeds
of misunderstandings
sprouting chronologically
while defensively arguing
against equally clear
mirror-polished stainless steel
as ideas expand like knickknacks
and tchotchkes cast perversely
in bronze purple hearts
inducing sweat and vomiting
from heart-leaved Four O'Clocks
acrid rank clammy-hairy tonic baths
splashing in waters
leaping through the air
with community-based
neighborly faces
in book-length essays
impertinently inert
broadly misinterpreted
on graceful surfaces
out of currency
amid exposed brick
and metal fixtures
featured as smelted pennies
coated in gold smelling of ammonia
wet meadows moist soil
swordlike leaves papery sheaths
awakening the spleen inducing edema
dangerously close to a lethal dose
for use by physicians only...

Redrawn Lines

" Redrawn Lines "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Redrawn lines
popping at the seams
neither trailing nor climbing

in traumatized silence
along the final line
broody and dirge like

lingering out of kilter
as a difficult ilk
unlike grammatically stylish
neon signs on opening night

when a painterly eye vaguely defined
as a brittlely sacrificed
supercilious stiff upper lip
inexplicably speaks subliminally

as a low spire pitted all over
turns up vertically
across bright white interstices

shielded by pinky white
across zigzagging outlines
divinely compiled by outliers...

Something Approaching

" Something Approaching "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Something approaching
replenishing a scene
with whole ideas
proving to be astonishing
and plenty pleasing

like a sharp-minded-
mighty-fine-do-or-die
prickly poppies
for Dutchman's breeches
with Adam's needles

as achingly complicated
endearing old-world femininity
becoming excitingly springy
and magically otherworldly

convincingly at every instant
yet unrecognizably incredibly precise
by interchangeably bumping our way
while defying explanation
as certain phrases reiterated
during painstaking transformation


chafingly sassy held in check by vanity
all the funnier and sadder like riff raff
rooting in gravel riffles
for stargazing minnows
in front of pelvic fins and fat lips
observed lying motionless...

Animate and Inanimate

" Animate and Inanimate "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Animate and inanimate
ever-shifting uncanny imprecision
held in captivity quick-labored flapping

recovery is rare not long after
the ultimate prize of not entirely
while lacking in gravity

false aloe rattlesnake master
greenish white fragrant at night
as a flower spike

drinking root tea for the dropsies
nodding bell-like
snakebitten drifting precariously

in the fetid air of hidden valleys
weighed down needing to breathe
overuse injuries searching for links

tending to wheeze
while searching for ancestries
especially at risk the elderly

succumbing to heat
under minimal tree canopies
suffering from hypersensitivity
delirium seizures...

Hurtles Ahead

" Hurtles Ahead "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Hurtles ahead
initiatives meant
not to mention
keeping collections
of spiraling shells

closing the aperture
as lips turn in
developing teeth
in cowries

with pliant and horny
trap doors
found as far north
as Norway

based on short stories
of synchronicity
comedy isn't easy
as Stan and Ollie

running guns
blowing bubbles
gurgling happily

indefinable qualities
like the unlikeliest
of reasonings

surrounded
by pale to deep
spreading rays

weaker heart rates
narrowing leaves
supportive treatments

believed to be
used extensively
horseweed pigweed

grayish downy annuals
strongly aromatic
instilled with dashes

silvery hairy
twig teas
crowned with sepals...

From Then to Now

" From Then to Now "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

From then to now
a mix of sun and clouds
while wearing unitards
in primary colors
after breaking away
from a clump one by one

with up to the minute
synthesizer timbres
in a single bound
capped by a lid
and a kind of cordage
of great importance

requesting royalties
during days of music making
seeming fated to fade
as lessening sensations

proudly proclaimed
in a special display case
changing like railroad timetables
for travelers of late
over decades of advocation

threatened by inundations
while moving dreamily through space
with a kind of rad fascination
while playing a heart to an ace
in a ducking play of the diamond eight

without hesitation
round nosed
chisel mouthed
stone rolled
plump and robust
big-eyed chub...

From a Distance

" From a Distance "
by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

From a distance
to a great degree
as seen on the green

well past peeling
sparse furnishings
perched perfectly

housed in refineries
of teasing
natural beauties

while dainty sulphers
feed on varieties
of sneezeweed
in the family of pinks
such as chickweed

along major
reenacted invasions
into open spaces
for mightily pugnacious
mottled grays

in the early stages
of their name's sakes
loosely labeled,
"annoying the neighbors"

on the strength
of trendy ubiquities
becoming dauntingly familiar

like brush and ink
elegant gatherings
with the fluidity and virtuosity
of Immaculate Green Hairstreaks...

Freshly Suspended

" Freshly Suspended "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Heavy-handed
heartfelt restlessness
punching home the message
for the disaffected
with the propulsive regrets
of reclusive rebels

in remnant populations
hidden in emergent sedges
after hedging to the bitter end
meant to stir and to unsettle
mischievous efforts

hips darting one way
arms spiraling in another
more awkward than oddly lethargic

like pidgeon-toed steps
by animal friends
in the rhythm section

gathering momentum
while insulating themselves
with coiled energy
from spontaneous inventions
freshly suspended
as pulpy red berries...

Getting Laughs

" Getting Laughs "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Getting laughs it seems by chance
separate events rather
than non-stop photographs

figurative and actual heart
like a visit to the top
of the probably improbable

buzzed in the intercom
staged at bars
as a whole lotta backdrops

sometimes completely dark
gravelly parts
yellow-belly body armor

darker spotting
terrestrially large
taking water on

atop a rock or a log
feeding burrowing frogs
in the margins of ponds

dry to swampy
used like a stopper
under loose bark

plugged against predators
in less than a second
caves and crevices

inflated when threatened
meringue-like nests
fully webbed perpetually intersecting...

Struggling to Care

"Struggling to Care"

by Suzán Jivân
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Struggling to care
thin and pale
with grand plans
replaced by cold air

while wrestling with headache
in a birthplace on writing paper
smooth and gray like a hazy
nowadays on museum faces

in sly portrayals cultivated
from traces of red clay
for a leadership change
as an assuager of anger

merged by entanglements
as shield shapes warning of predation
in frothy masses mixed with air
on dark scales of branch-boring
host plants' distinctive lairs

laid in carrion and rotting matter
maggots tunneling grubs
scavenging whirligigs
with steel-blue sheens
on metallic stags
grouped in mated pairs
in deciduous woodlands...

Groping to Find Voices

" Groping to Find Voices "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Groping to find voices
putting language aside
while wearing white
and bowing low tones on cellos

at the endings of sets
touching on affection
with conundrums
as lessons
primarily terrestrial
but then again
seemingly celestial

as psychedelic
unhealthy obsessions
taking short breaths
that can't be helped

when performing a cappella
for inventive nonsenses
while wearing pajamas
with feet to mimic invincibilty
after losing the ability to speak

like shearwaters
on the high seas
generally silent
feeding at night
deep wing beats
long low glides
numbers showing
some decline

smudges of dusky colors
keen senses of smell
flying straight ahead
with rhythmical cadences
echoed on stage

in dizzying arrays
hip-hop doo-wop
clap and stamp
in a flash on Instagram
as women and men
perchance to dance...

Eerily Similar

" Eerily Similar "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Eerily similar
tiny fractions
of lifelong averages
like batting crowns
sought passionately

re-created each and everyday
as mandated rest breaks
similar to frog-hoppers
squat round-eyed bugs

dark colorings
extended hoodlike
over the head
when under threat
from previously scheduled
pressing agendas
toward reconciliation
and maybe even salvation

while attempting to remain safe
in full pursuit of day-to-day
pivotal states alternating
or whorled fused at the base

funnel shaped wrenching cases
of shame worrying about danger
while working in cages
that are robot-maintained

checkered antennae
clustered rust-colored
red projections
cooler temperatures

yellow to ochre
emerging later
in playful ways
amid tough labor

involuntarily taken
as matters of faith
on action-packed pages
of endless collaborations

going by fake names
in order to erase
when the rains came
into breeding ranges
during confrontations

" kill-deer, kill-deear
kill-deeah, ee eeer "
crippling wings limping
darkly familiar brazen figures

spirited away
divisive perpetrators
rebutted allegations
common king snake
cross bands chain links...

About Randomness

" About Randomness "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

About randomness
and interrupted order
arranged in circles
between observers
of caseworkers
in parodies
for tongue-waggers'
aquatic mountain habitats

hanging onto anything solid
hind legs partly hidden
ostensibly in harmony
shaped like shopping carts
filled with undergarments

teddies and bustiers
by unknown makers
like opposites at play
skimpy and lightweight
lacy and dainty hanky panky
even brazen shifting tastes

whips and pasties
cornflower daisies
widely cultivated
unfeigned awe
at close range

rickety calligraphy
eye and mind
just as likely ill-timed
slipping and sliding
while germinating inside

like cut and paste
untitled plain
and unmarked
streaked and spotted
topography

with variations
within species
cone-shaped
spatulate

flycatcher nuthatch
thrush thrasher
pre-arranged
distraction displays

no longer aiming
at quirks of fate
as archival traces
of resuscitated
maritime paintings

like saturated workaday
crashing waves
in plastinated brains
kept at bay...

Gee-Whiz Moments

" Gee-Whiz Moments "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Gee-whiz moments
like emotional poems
bedazzled by pros
straight onto video

under stark strobes
of green yellow and red
in lengthwise rows

out in the open
if provoked
remaining motionless

finely windblown
burrowing
while feeding on mallows
sweat-soaked brows
morning workouts

drippy red spirals
rock climbing
blurring boundaries

slowing down
walking paths
shallow sand flats

throwing the hook
landing a gamefish
after spawning at sea

ridged gill openings
rocky reefs
bays and tidal creeks

flamethrowers for heat
both distancing
and enchanting

following leads
in terms of a neat
familial history

confounded by ideas
trundling around
in wheelbarrows
of colored plastics

combining risk
with a gift
for absurdity

appearing in films
along with inaccurate
indigenous descriptions
of untamed natures

like club-ended antennae
and golden eyes
with a reddish shine

attracted to lights
after midnight worldwide
hover fly...

Leaping Across Time

" Leaping Across Time "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Leaping across time
emotional push
and psychological pull

lullabies reduced
by misfortune
and grumbling bluster

while looking as funny
as a redwood trunk
for musclemen
doing the jitterbug

spurning setups
for predecessors
less limited
totally lacking
like half flowers

overlapping
basally attached
rounded backs

out showing each lobe
drained of emotion
getting in on the joke

like cliché-infested hokum
for imaginatively chosen
movie goers

standing out
as showboats
in minimal roles
of affecting moments

known locally
out in the open
over exposed

floppy flight
feet dangling
crucial inland

as somewhat
secretive duckweed
with white mottling

and barred underparts
on brackish marshes
becoming especially fond
of smartweed seeds

hardly distinguishing
between melodious whinnies
and abrasive "keeks"
while breeding in reeds

laughing "wah-wahk"
in the shallows
wings rapidly flapping

laying pinkish buff eggs
multi-octave propagation
culminating in havens
for mavens of Father's Day...

Lingering Over

" Lingering Over "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Lingering over
a tender reedy croon
" loodle-loon, loodle-loon "

profuse white spotting monogamy
free from the isthmus
offshore inshore

like major portions
of oil platforms
as warnings

spiny and soft
handled with caution
arch short

to be avoided
slightly forked
at mid water

in fine running order
before long far too-many stories
of the all-too haunting

like the outer margins of metalmarks
with patterned orange blotches
and silver-spotted teardrops

bustling harmony
hurtling toward
an ambling short story

out of the ordinary
while looming largely
against benchmarks

bracingly negated naysayers
well steeped in plays
of extreme statements

conveyed as strong mates
like native-tongue wine tasting
with fragrant bouquets...

More Is More

" More Is More "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

More is more
pratfalls and waggery
dodging danger
angsty antics

tree hopping
honeydew
winged aphids

hatching out
moving around
head to tail

under glass
harvested
as parts of plants

with merriment and laughter
while kinetically dancing
in golden eras

like small seeds
with major features
on glossy evergreens

richly pyramidal
spritely lyrical vigor
zestfully playful

like Eastern towhees
whistling clearly,
" drink-your-teeaaa "
" drink-your-teeaaa "
" drink-your-teeaaa "
" Toe-WHEEE "

rustling leaves
double scratching
sharply backward
fanned tails
linings of soft grasses

peculiar to the nth degree
in a particularly complex stream
of turbid absurdity

cognitive dickering
exempt of expertise
under conditions of anonymity

confidentially predicted by committee
with missing identification keys
for wingless centipedes

especially in warmer regions
for scaly species in canopies of trees
reaching toward maturity...

A Ringing Voice

" A Ringing Voice "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

A ringing voice
fighting off
the not getting along

in the base
of an arroyo wall
tunneling up
bobbing heads
stumpy hind legs


beyond a carapace
pale concave
beneath overhangs
nesting places
of simple scrapes
unlike radical changes

overstated as about faces
in comebacks during takeovers
over belated decades
as patients pass away
being ruled in favor
of many cases without explanation

with mega-data bases
minus causation
in opposition
to emerging nations
of anterior separations

fringes of fleshy flaps
frequenting shallows
sporting enormous capacity
while attracting prey
for the aquarium trade
in color phases

as souls of lingerie
climb into a brain
in display via curation

with fragile papyrus fragments
bleating along with soundtracks
as stop gaps to a captivating past
by rattling balcony railings
like avid backtrackers
tucked away in odd shapes
after arriving late to a rave...

More Matter of Factly

" More Matter of Factly "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

More matter of factly
occasions for wisecracking
in plaid flannel

like alcohol-assisted
wisdom and idiocy
turning out obliviously silly


while juggling the sweet and the nasty
during humorous treatments
between zigzagging laziness
and scrambling ambition

soft-wooded fleshy roots
arranged centrifugally
in conspicuous disks
of single genuses

down to the last meal
of yuk-fests
and gross-out burlesques


foraging in leaf litter
with spiny lizards
under rotting logs
and less-often rocks

after fleeing to avoid capture
midline pink patches
rosemary scrub
sand under shrubs


ping-ponging summers
gone beyond spunky
kept wondering
often at dusk

with greenish gray legs
under cover of vegetation
as grasses and grains flatly reign
across disembodied mosaics
of space-saving shadowy shapes...

Wanded Harlequins

" Wanded Harlequins "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Colliding on bias
bitter strikes
recognition guides
for blow flies
and catfish whiskers
on kingfishers

frog-bit at the tip
occurring as opposites
pendulously simple
oblong elliptical indecisions
being likened to willy-nilly
blurry insipidity
versus primal immediacy

while pouring coffee
for exhausted civilians
across weepy battlefields

documented stark shots
of body parts 'n' burned forests
checkerspots
orange dashes mottled spots

goldenrod
sun-warmed basalt
pencil on rag board

caught up
marked out
shot down

argued ponderously
as somber shards
scooped out
punched in
like underlying grids
filled in
by anomalously
wanded harlequins...

Behavioral Distancing

" Behavioral Distancing "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzân

Reach and resiliency
undeterred by splits
of assaulted signals
as warning issues

centered temperate generas
long feathery inbred
traded secrets
revered authenticity

like behavioral distancing
that's precisely timed
while headbobbing
pale orange throatfanning

during a hurly-burly dance
in monochromed pasts
as overlapping roadside habitats
becoming jet black

neither longtailed nor tailless
as marginal markings
of paler diagonal slashes
on spotted backs

at half-past digital fracking
paddling animals
laid out in dank cavities
smooth and hairless

flat expanses
netlike patterning
backward glances
as satellite mapping
surveillance tactics

aiming to steer clear
of graffitied owl-like
sides of buildings
perched high
yellow-eyed
preferring to hide

at close range
in thick brushy tangles
with added breathing spaces
at upper ranges
across stony layered remains...

Completely or Incompletely

" Completely or Incompletely "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Completely
or incompletely
chewed or used
for an infusion

drunk as a tea
colored fruits
and seeds

weakly keeled
wide red stripes
behind the eyes

pond sliders
fond of basking
stacked on logs

memoirish volumes
fondly exotic
putting things mildly

yet left unfazed
spindle
or vase-shaped

under a glowing twilight
pining for a burnished time
lush bird and vine

song dry
chatteringly
gregarious

erratic flight patterns
catching feathers in the air
lined with grasses

sized to grasp
oak tree beech
stippling tilled fields

daffodil and chicory
dazzling bits
centered edge to edge
boughs spreading...

A Headlong Rush

" A Headlong Rush "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

A headlong rush
scurrying and giggling
with tremendous vulnerability

seeing clearly souring and sullied
blasted heath
as confining as a mausoleum

like metallic blue mooneyes
laterally lined
oafish time-bending gestures

two-timing must-sees
impossibly flopping
compressed bodies

rocky reefs completely
encircling crooked cockeyed grins
with winsome modesty

between argument and feeling
amiably unhurried
rarely overlapping never lingering

standing chilly windy weather
during rough stretches
under cold spells

mists hugging meadows
protected from predators
strong reflexes

one of many
flicked away
seedlike eggs

well-vegetated
camouflaged coloration
heart-shaped forward-facing...

Darters

" Darters "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Darters
darker markings
slightly forked
turbid waters

sluggish sloths
steady stalkers
migratory
dark morphs

much smaller
long-legged waders
bluish gray
incubated eggs

marsh vegetation
mistaken
for wooden stakes
feet away

buff coloration
breeding range
painful dedication
laid out

like the overly faithful
for unit mates
in the remaining
as shoo-ins
for clear-cut favorites

with no perks
for bad behavior
milked for pathos

galloping gasping
unchanging tactics
continuing back
to a diaspora

darker overall
grappling
dating back
tiles of animals

dead-heat duos
freed of constraints
moistened by rain...

Bristly Sarsaparilla

" Bristly Sarsaparilla "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Yellow above
slightly green below
male clear

virtually absent
on female
similar species

lacking pink fringes
hosts are willows
bogs and meadows

submarginal rows
dusky below
common and orange

overwinters
in 3rd instar
acid bogs

heaths
in the higher parts
creeping wintergreen

traced by olive gray
silvery cell spot
bristly sarsaparilla

various asters
range patterns
hazel, aspen
plant matter...

In the Wake of a String

" In the Wake of a String "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Might be in jeopardy
like guards fleeing
views of a cathedral
with dizzying greetings
in retreat pressed overseas

by one-on-one lower judges
increasingly savvy
images of transactions
becoming underhanded
and overwhelmed
like unimpressive soft sells

all in rows for themselves
against aggression
ending up deftly re-scheduled
still left where ' What Ifs ' left off

with inevitability only thickening
under a 99-year lease
letting a mighty nave breathe
beneath a medley of multi-directional
assignments to protect post reckonings

being buttressed
by bargains on bedding
while strutting
in negligees as bold-faced names
calm the chaos of the day-to-day

grooming vacant spaces
in time frames
digitally and physically
laid out vividly

yet said to have had a history
according to people briefed
on the murky defense of secrecy
hesitant to seek healing
in the wake of a string...

Picking Up Umpteen

" Picking Up Umpteen "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Picking up umpteen
cultural seeps
from Houdini bindings

churning with yearnings
while cycling through byways
in light-footed high-tech water rides

swiveling Elvis style
'ti help arrives
by new environs
of performance lives
along humorous lines

currently underway as iterations admirably integrated
into mile-long freight trains

becoming less labored
by a preoccupation
with lengthy strangeness

elongating in between
fairly attainable bit-by-bit
destinations toward affirmations
of emotional weight

commissioned to commiserate
lightly pulsating methodically layered
acoustical upgrades

thoroughly upstaged
more captivating
than light, color and shade
by catchily finger snapping...

Mallets Minus Malice

" Mallets Minus Malice "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Arm-twisted emissions
suspected of doing business
over long distances

as hard-and-fast
carbon power plants
briefed on all matters
seized as facts

passed around in packs
where the protests began
with faces fanning
with new details

after stabbing anguish
whisked away
through negotiations
putting pencil to paper

left with a preference
for Dvorák and retro raps
with mallets minus malice...

A Goofy Spoofy Spin

" A Goofy Spoofy Spin "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

A goofy spoofy spin
so much for the plot
of fluorescent neon
graffitied by anarchy

bounding and bouncing
trekking out
cooingly enshrouded
in camouflaged
a cappella somehows

over lone notes
all in the moment
knowing full well
more or less
lucky then

all bear telling
augmented collectively
then and back again
every few seconds
vigorously gestured
as apologetic missteps
versus total acceptance

being slanted in the air
now matter how heady the task
after stepping out or character
in overly long encounters
wandering into whimsy
while eyeing one another close up

under conditions of anonymity
in captivity leaning heavily
on malevolence
as rarities of au contraire
taking on airs

while squeezing the heart
of admirable artists
minus galas
underplayed in many ways
like dissimilar interpretations

along temperamental ranges
of full-length clapping legs
rounding out a ballet
gushing and trend-chasing

relegated to downgrades
in the wee hours
forced to rescind decisions
after coming to grips
with the nitty gritty

fleshed out quite a bit
by a twisted nemesis
gnarled and fortressed
smacking of grandstanding
suddenly cancelled
simply gasping
vanishing before capture...

Enable Us

" Enable Us "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzân

Enable us
to witness
a daring
back then

whip-smart
at the outset
nothing glamorous
involving daggers
and the super-
naturally intangible

past ordeals likened
to diagramed deals
cashing the spade jack
and ruffed the last
spade in the dummy

having to concede
a ruff-and-sluff
drawn to the subtler
slow-dawning hourlong sets
with rapturous endings
elemental and effortless


averse to succinctness
or simplicity on austerity
minus dignity harmonically oblique
as hopeful uncertainty hinting
at atonality shimmering lyrically

upliftingly weepy aimed squarely
at the working parts of unblocked
debacles assembled at parties
taking stock after wailing in costumes
trying on the bonnet raising the bar
seemingly left at odds...

Requiem Refrains

" Requiem Refrains "

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Unswayed by intimidation
in your face firmer than a barricade
of big names manipulated
by timetables and soap science

with fixed IQs
in avoidance of execution
as static thankless tasks
like polishing latex finger nails
painted in anticipation of a wake

with "ah-ha" requiem refrains
in close proximation
to something of a brouhaha
of genealogy for solo concerts
devoid of grandiosity

like humble pie served as shoofly
call it piracy of privacy
dreamed up naïvely
pitching enigmatically
with listing sidekicks

racing into revisions
by buccaneering
on the high seas
draped over our seats
free diving into fiercely
outpoured lives...