Beneath a Midnight Sky

” As Old As the Hills “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán As old as the hills over the hill hit it off hit the hay hit-or-miss hit the roof a smash hit hit the nail on the head hightail it high as a kite high and mighty neither hide nor hair take heart tug at the heartstrings warm the cockles of the heart wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve in the heat of the moment cross my heart have a crush on coming down in buckets brainwash (someone) a bolt from the blue once in a blue moon well beyond the pale someone’s better half getting one’s bearings ...

” By the Skin of One’s Teeth “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán By the skin of one’s teeth save one’s skin a skeleton in the cupboard the skull and crossbones cut (someone) down to size try that on for size! skin-deep a skinflint thick-skinned thin-skinned the sky’s the limit like pie in the sky not in the slightest while on the sly a slip of the tongue small wonder soft-pedal a soft touch no sooner said than done ...

” Look Sharp “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Look sharp look smart loom large as a long shot don’t lose heart thank one’s lucky stars make one’s mark like a marked man in no-man’s land flags at half mast meeting one’s match not to mince matters mealy-mouthed one man’s meat is another man’s poison get the message? make mincemeat of someone give someone a piece of one’s mind while declaring: “Great minds think alike - out of sight, out of mind” ...

” Up the Creek “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Up the creek give someone the creeps not all it’s cracked up to be till the cows come home there’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip cutting (someone) to the quick not firing on all cylinders a damp squid count one’s chickens before they hatch get cracking in dribs and drabs suit (someone) down to the ground long and drawn out a dressing-down down in the mouth prick up one’s ears walls have ears turn a deaf ear ...

” Perish the Thought “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Perish the thought food for thought second thoughts throw in the towel thumb one’s nose at thumbs down jump down someone’s throat in the throes of (something) I should think so think something out out in the cold the power behind the throne throw cold water (over) steal (someone’s) thunder twiddle one’s thumbs up and under thumbs up tide (someone) over for the time being killing time from time immemorial...

” Ruffle Someone’s Feathers “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Ruffle someone’s feathers pull the rug out from under someone there’s the rub round up rub someone’s nose in it rack and ruin (all) the rage as right as rain save for a rainy day raise a stink go on the rampage break ranks as thin as a rake a one-horse race the rat race rack one’s brain raise Cain ...

” A Grey Area “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán A grey area grin and bear it like a Cheshire cat up for grabs how does that grab you ? being taken for granted what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander in good hands goodness knows have a go go the whole hog go to pot in the lap of the gods hand in glove the gloves are off go off off one’s rocker what gives? holding the lily Something’s amiss! ...

“ Take a Back Seat “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Take a back seat by the seat of your pants have a ringside seat take a seat make it snappy snap out of it not to be sneezed at for a song and a dance more in sorrow than in anger a sore point a sight for sore eyes not a bad sort it takes all sorts (to make a world) soul-searching in the space of a minute on speaking terms you never can tell you’re telling me! ...

“ As Bright As a Button “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán As bright as a button looking on the bright side bringing to light play one’s cards right every cloud has a silver lining come to light as the crow flies in full cry cut and dried a rough diamond within striking distance let sleeping dogs lie drop in drop off drop out a dry run dry up go dry high and dry dyed-in-the-wool ears are burning play it by ear walls have ears the end justifies the means make ends meet how goes the enemy? all things being equal keep on an even keel in the twinkling of an eye make the feathers fly ...

” Not to Be Able to Believe “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Not to be able to believe one’s ears to the best of my belief as clear as a bell as sound as a bell saved by the bell not all beer and skittles begging to differ go one better given the benefit of the doubt a bird in the hand the birds and the bees take the bit in one’s teeth do one’s bit not a bit of it thrilled to bits a bitter pill take the biscuit take the cake take it from me take it or leave it namedropping tail-end Charlie like clock work dearly departed a shot in the dark having a crush on pluck up the courage cool as a cucumber that’s the way the cookie crumbles as clear as mud ...

“ Keep the Ball Rolling “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Keep the ball rolling beat the band go out with a bang break the bank go bananas scrape the bottom of the barrel have a barrel of fun at full tilt tilting at windmills through thick and thin tickled pink think nothing of it this and that this that and the other that’s another thing spilling the beans crying over spilt milk the spitting image a sight for sore eyes all for a song in the wee small hours of the morning ...

” A Wild Goose Chase “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán A wild goose chase two bites at the cherry not having a snowball’s chance in hell coming to rest with a bone of contention getting cracking cracking jokes at the crack of dawn not all it’s cracked up to be up the creek given the creeps from crocodile tears while crossing one’s fingers manically dotting one’s i’s and crossing one’s t’s as the crow flies crying wolf for crying out loud a crying shame getting licked into shape sharp as a razor no great shakes two shakes of a lamb’s tail with one’s tail between one’s legs just between you and me - Big Deal! ...

” Making a Mark “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Making a mark informally on the Solstice in the forest through thick and thin as the plot thickens thinking nothing of it this that and the other out of hand out of commission out of turn out of work over the hump over and done red blooded right off right you are serves you right rise and shine cut down to size try that on for size praised to the skies not in the slightest slipping one’s mind all smiles on the sly ...

” Colorful and Peculiar “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Colorful and peculiar as happy as the day at the end of the day name the day carry the day days are numbered save the day those were the days win the day every dog has its day take it easy easy come, easy go out at the elbow the end of the road from the word go no go own up on the up-and-up up-and-coming coming to light out like a light like greased lightning in the limelight scaring the living daylights as a live wire dressed to the nines ...

“ Compiling Headlines and Storylines “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Compiling headlines and storylines Taking up the judge’s offer barking, Arguably you sold your country out!”; We don’t want to shut down the government we want to shut down the border; Bump stocks, used to make semi-automatic rifles fire in rapid bursts are outlawed; Here are some tips for helping teenagers quit vaping; The Earth’s shell has cracked, and we’re drifting on the pieces; The slow shifting is still a deep mystery; Astronomers have named the solar system’s most distant object, ”Farout”; Saturn with no rings? It could happen! And sooner than you think!; A Dracula Ant’s jaws could make it the fastest animal on Earth; Albinism strips pigment from the body, including the eyes - causing intense sensitivity to light; Breastfeeding is tied to a smaller waist size for mothers; Marijuana is partially legalized; Report cards go out on Friday; Making the case for creative play in a Dig...

” In Certain Cases “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán In certain cases with one takeaway by hyper-polarized candidates within our social media age involving analyzing databases with no sign of abatement as platforms serve as battle spaces shifting focuses away like violent tectonic plates with political high stakes due to misinformation campaigns likened to emotionally engaging state-sponsored manipulations proposing legislation to negate mass persuasions of populations over entire populists terrains by concocting fictional domains for imposter operations now coming under recent investigation intending to separate “fact from fake” requiring greater and greater sophistication to determine, “What’s shakin’” based solely on debated critical data being simply, “made up” as chicanery “Stirred up” by day-to-day online conversations while wearing the masked face of divisive  provocation having secretly preyed on our national naïveté...

” Mounting Evidence of All-Night Sessions “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Mounting evidence of all-night sessions resigning under pressure inflating rents opening sketches as headquarter checks for celebrity guests shown in pretaped segments speaking English without an accent like least-expected deadpanned predecessors slipping through dragnets at sleep away camps while spying on cats knicknamed, “Batman” eating a low-carb and high-fat diet but engaging in frequent exercise where reindeer racing is a way of life ...

“ Upticks “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Upticks reduced to small bits with big shoes to fill lacking in people skills exceeding speed limits racing downstairs for drinks “ Silly me! “ listing sweetly yet not defiantly by harkening back to the 60’s while singing zigzagging melodies a la analog geeks now unseemly so homey pained and potent like an interwoven drone thickly textured and harshly toned via loudly unfolding notes and background vocals radiating the entire focus with the dumbfounding gusto of showy concertos by best-known jazz composers...

“ Keeping America Covered “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Keeping America covered while stocks get pummeled and bonds tumble “ Just where do we put our money?! “ exposed to lawsuits around the country hidden scams of cross-contamination asbestos sprinkled into talcum baby powder facing harassment leading active passers just 2 inches shy of six feet munching on salted chocolate chunk shortbread cookies being told to switch to cornstarch based on solid arguments and hard truths of rural communities having failed to turn failures into accomplishments “I see your name everywhere!” “You’re killing it!” “O.K. , I get it!” like a word with “baron” or “basin” “Au contraire!”

” Secretly Rolling Back Efficiency Standards “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Secretly rolling back efficiency standards paired with stalled plans while tapping scandals of front-loaded data fomenting carbon tax backlashes falsely claiming, “It was an accident!” unwilling to care about catastrophic thermal samples rapid unravelings left unprepared for global disasters ...

“ Facing the End “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Facing the end last-ditch efforts taking hard lines on Brexit facing sentencing keeping marching choosing not to stop accusations of traps reclaiming mantles preparing crackdowns both cyber and economic yet hoping to live on via a memoir already started like signature fossils branded, “flamboyant awfulness” after meeting in The Oval Office ...

” The Prospect of Defeat “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán The prospect of defeat uncertainty tenacity confusion reigning collective rage chipping away at sanctions and lobby payments snaring replacements prosecutors’ accusations stating, “America’s at stake!” fighting gangs air strikes being traced only half way anonymous complaints staying tuned for updates hearing our ways ...

“ On a Shoestring “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán On a shoestring going from gig to gig not getting any sleep seriously studying flyer-de-lys in bilingual theaterspeak seeking amorous properties all atop a candy heart “Let’s tie the knot! You’re on! “

“ Silent Communication, for Short “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Silent communication, for short furiously adding and subtracting finally getting a breather “Fuhgeddaboutit!” corralling bits of forensic data a la “Inspector Gadget” when crepuscular animals are active “Am not!” “Don’t worry, be happy!” mimicking Silicone Valley not doing anything rash donning wing-shaped tails during neuro exams for aquaculture fans having solved puzzle squares with “bubbles ‘n’ baubles” as part of the body to slap - “My bad!” ...

” Out and About “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Out and about “ It’s a long story for Doctors Without Borders” pleading in open court smelling deep-fried balls of corn hearing, “Get along little doggie get along” singing “ Do a dear a female dear “ asking, “Are we clear?” dreaming of peaceful scenes seeing “Dungeons & Dragons” baddies where, “Orange is the New Black” while sighing, “Ah well, that’s that!” ...

” In Very Few Words “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán In very few words in Mom-and-Pop Holiday Shoppes spotting hand- made garments plus hand- spun yarns sold by the yard quickly pulling out digital wallets from hip pockets as shoppers spar for coveted “hard goods” yelling, “Step on it!” while keeping a look out “for words before Ghost or Grail” loudly shouting, “Whoa there!” ...

” Rendered Harmless “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Rendered harmless like solids melted into bars of incongruous conglomerates smelted along prominent promenades subsequently declared, “boondoggled properties” getting broken in two upon playing musical spoons doused in fragrant fruits as compounds used in funerary perfumes activated by taps “Get it now?” ...

” Receiving a Deep Sense of Disconnection “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Receiving a deep sense of disconnection having posed new questions leading to a feeling of menace hearing alarm bells lacking fact checking past and present creating relentless cultural tension while depending on reduced sentences being given precedence as precious gems strung on a necklace way out in the desert by Nobelists getting wedded to charged atomic particles like down under coppers with Eden-ous origins stowed as cargo in massive arcs as exceptions to “No-Pet” policy boondoggles ...

” Quickly Confessing “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Quickly confessing making incremental concessions feeling on edge facing “Yellow Vest “ protests questioning governance not knowing what to expect with evidence suggesting “ seeing red “ while reincarnating deceptions as our “obsessive selves” being offered hard lessons while lacking in intelligence having stirred up mixed messages then being left on the back doorsteps of known predators depending solely on air pressures to roll back protections based only on rough drafts ...

” Walking Among Us “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom- Mom Suzán Walking among us donning modified genes of in vitro procedures as “would-be” parents stream into “mini-factories” called, “ mitochondrial germ lines” being realized by swapping and thereby “erasing” disease via “replacement therapy” altering their DNA “there-buy” heredity disclaimed ...

” Learning and Unlearning “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Learning and unlearning from the classically ravishing to tending sheep in bare feet protected controlled and told to “Stay at home!” gazing up wordlessly at a giant screen where movies were once called, “Talkies” being sealed by a kiss until recently circling playfully cinematically sassy as sublime females becoming radically distinct characters moving in and out of houses be-dazzlingly mouthy howling with laughter fading to black ...