Beneath a Midnight Sky

 “Space Is Shaken” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Space is shaken downplaying dangers  requiring complicated cooperation from clichés like “ Between a rock and a hard place”  negotiations threatening confrontations  and accusations imposing sanctions  remarking, “Conditions have really changed!” as web-based catchphrases gain favor  from “Way back in the day!” …

 “Telling Gestures” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Telling gestures overheard mentions  harrowing effects morning dread  unspeakable peril jettisoning ourselves  as adventurers never wanting to remember  our delusional rootlessness…

 “Winnowing Staffs” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Winnowing staffs operations canceled  beds lacking schedules scrambled  coming into contact with variants  like past walkie-talkie bands  for ailing members of the fam  no longer “rolling out the barrel” breaking down empty casks …

 “Holding Up” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Holding up an unsparing mirror/re-emerging unflatteringly panicked and angry/talking of stark stories/offering challenging audiences harsh thoughts on the floor/in forced monotone voices/assembling particularly pointed law enforcement officers/being pressed by rapid-fire questions/recommending charges of contempt/as criminal penalties hang overhead …

 “Rendered in Bytes” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Rendered in bytes/rooted in dystopia/as opposed to utopia/embodying our encumbered worlds/churning all at once/falling atop tall mental hurdles/devaluing all real persons/becoming bunched up outside of one another/ultimately surging within an impersonal virtual flood tide of forgotten lost lives …

 “Growing Tiring” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Growing tiring/digital plays in isolation/becoming as exciting as fireworks/ following months of streaming/almost feeling like being imprisoned/released into timid outings/post pent-up urgency/whipped into frenzies/conceived as overreach /then rethinking lip-syncing as a future possibility/ determined to be disguised tragedy/offering laugh rioting in the finale …

 “Knowing Where and How” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Knowing where and how/to detect unprecedented pandemic levels/spreading overwhelmingly/yet, the world isn’t ready/coming down to less than a millionth of a second/being emphasized over and over again/generating lethal infections/via tiny droplet trajectories/with exceptionally unsettling poor senses of direction …

 “Nearing the End” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Nearing the end  effectively turning into a desert  as climate-change skeptics  gaslight weather temps and ice melts  hiding in plain sight  while moving against the surging tide  of a rising warming cycle  being pirated by an expiring afterlife …

 “Hanging on Headlines” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Hanging on headlines  “We’re in for a bumpy ride!” despite tantalizing positive signs  changing almost overnight  while attempting to undermine  a myriad of viruses  opining, “It’s just guesswork for everybody!” notching record highs  trading light and longtime insiders …

 “Deeply Personal” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Deeply personal plus frankly funny when progressing from a lush growing up  with a visceral punch  while driving ominously compulsive  preordained triumphs into the abundance  of bumping up against touching reruns …

 “A Widening Berth” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  A widening berth an uphill battle  over “open carry” asking questions thereafter  shining searchlights  on ceaseless gun violence  widening divides  flashing lights blaring sirens ad infinitum …

 “A Theatrical Leg Kick” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  A theatrical leg kick  aka a “foot flag” aka a “can-can” flaring onto the air  parallel to an exaggerated long axis  coursing as a flamboyant warning  exploited along noisy territorial falls  during boreal frog wars …

 “Uneasy” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Uneasy dour about our economy  yet spending heavily on goods  virtually whooping, “Gadzooks!” well into New Years  then bellowing, “Who me?!  Yes you! Not me! Then who?!” while zooming through the drive-thru …

 “Extreme Warping” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Extreme warping due to redrawing  poised to flip far-reaching gerrymandered districts  cramming cracking and packing  cartographic advantages into existing maps  performing premature victory laps  as courts command, “Hold on there!” …

 “Turning Back the Calendar” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Turning back the calendar of formidable powers in the midst of a battle with expansive sarcasm in acts of insanity sitting on laps as a distraction to emphatically test humanity disclaiming as slang, “Ain’t That a Shame?!” …

 “Residual Secrecies” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Residual secrecies signaling appeals  weighing in on restrictions  by trumping anxieties  surprising our rivals  feeling energized  by “theory lite” like revised writings  and scary headlines  while inquiring, “Who’s got the goods?” …

 “Punctuated by Surprises” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Punctuated by surprises of creative survival called, “super fire” rather than ice at right angles from climate- changed timelines siting over-analyzed dark skies  from on all sides on the fly …

 “Compromise with Real Bite” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Compromise with real bite  on spiraling drug prices  falling into line on all sides  donning prominent attire  replying, “Much obliged!” …

 “Relying on Prototypes” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Relying on prototypes  beaming high-speed satellite devices  being hampered by the digital divide  and reflected sunlight  ending up counting up  pennies plus sub-pennies …

 “The World Is Bending” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom -Mom Suzán  The world is bending the climate curve  scaling back cracking down  growing more slowly to varying degrees  along with big “ifs” for Coral Reefs and Arctic summer seas beneath The Big and The Little Dippers …

 “Faltering Shadows” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Faltering shadows/covert action/occasional fatalities/crushing failures/drone attacks/extortion rackets/parallel taxes/fiery fiascos/fearing debacles/rarely venturing out/largely vanishing/hanging by fraying threads/frightening alarm bells/pinning memento medals onto bulletproofed vests/collapsing/slapping sanctions/on band aid brands/getting up there/passing into the “forever after”/bending over backwards/into phantom laugh tracks …

 “Backing Away” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Backing away questioning voters’ fates by blocking legislation  during faltering campaigns tracking our mistakes  in shades of black white or gray  while flip-flopping via aggressive lobbying  leading to misleading even alarming policies  proved useful or not getting the nod  throwing cold water on what “10” is not  some like it hot—throwing hostile parties …

 “Facing Fury” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán Facing fury over vaccination mandates/fit to be tied irate exasperated indignation/instigating bringing back public hangings/feeling afraid of being fired/and/or a needless victim of homicide/exhausted demoralized/deepening shortfalls/petering out funding/gutting authority/ squelching public health/engendering hostility/morbidly tracing inabilities to curb terminal COVID cases/documenting run-down public places/all according to personal trainers …

 “Unintended Experiments” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Unintended experiments  analyzing “cause and effect” for the unexpected  attracting sizable attention over disrupted weekends  arguing, “It ain’t over yet” making jokes at our expense  acting as surprised as anyone else while under the influence  being likened to an homage  to body-swapping zombie comedies …

 “New and Alarming” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  New and alarming overwhelming majorities  grieving the deadliest pandemic in history  ripping through the unvaccinated thousands dying each day despite mandates  feeling stunned and devastated  amid a polarizing landscape  of misinformation and a high contagion rate  in the worst-hit states  where death is commonplace  leaving survivors facing excruciating pain …

 “Signing a Stopgap” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Signing a stopgap everting a collapse  of habitats in tandem with greenhouse gases  and extinctions en masse  especially birds fish plants and bats  as an international tragedy  due to a drastically transformed planet  failing to gain traction …

 “Dizzying” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Dizzying victories deepening crises harrowing stories  praying in death chambers  issuing extreme weather updates  counterfeiting fake chest pains grand slams landfalls on panhandles  as cautionary tales upon handing out Grammies…

 “Often Invisible” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Often invisible  forever on guard  yet pretending we are not  feeling our former traumas grappling with our past sorrows  masking our scars packing hidden pistols  filled with cartridges  in our worn pockets …

 “After a Wallop” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  After a wallop wetter wilder  fallout from downpours ferocious storms surging torrents rising forcefully along with little warning torn-down doors frantic calls chin-deep water overlooked no more …

 “Captured”  by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Captured by satellite  active fires hard drives  “An Eye-for-an-Eye” demolition sites  covert flights  far cries …

 “The Ocean Has Always Glowed” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  The ocean has always glowed/mysteries coming to be/as concentrations of living things/gruesome creatures/inky deep/needle-like teeth/gleaming bacteria/ over long periods/comb jellies/rough sketches/rhythmic stingers/feathery cilia/sweeping the sea/gliding shimmering/bluish greenish/fingerprinting/staggering diversity/open stretches of the deep/tiny infinities…

 “Signaling” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Signaling dwindling support /lingering criminal inquiries/calling for impeachment/due to demeaning sexual misdeeds/toggling between being shielded from accountability/and fueling, “the creepy”/as a sort of, “wink-wink”/practicing lurid, “tongue-in-cheek/exerting the shrewd instincts/of a celebrated figure/coming under heated scrutiny/at a fever pitch/yet refusing to give, “even an inch” …

 “Urgently Returning” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Urgently returning to urging wearing masks as variants surge  person to person in a worrisome world  whose occupants are constantly heard hollering, “Lean to the left, lean to the right Stand up, sit down, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!”

 “A Distancing Stance” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  A distancing stance of abandon  appearing through a camera in a trance reappearing out of nowhere  a painterly photograph of magical detail  viewed through cracking glass …

 “May Need to Be” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  May need to be more cautious  after raising tricky questions  regarding testing plus risk assessment sent harredly scrambling for answers  ultimately left yelling, “Good heavens!” in the end …

 “No Returning” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  No returning to normalcy summers of misery  prompting clotting blotting  startling lingering sparks of despondency  starting as polar opposites  being brought to a roiling boil  nonstop round-the-clock …

“So Big and So Hot!!!! by Suzán Jiván and Suzán Jiván  So big and so hot!!!! baking the Rockies  leapfrogging   embers flying reaching airliner heights  spawning lightning strikes  igniting hellfire skies  in the black of night …

 “Fading to Frustration” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Fading to frustration little has changed low prosecution rates rape accusations  low expectations dropped cases  lifelong humiliation forever lost face …

 “Hardly a Ripple” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Hardly a ripple  trickling toward normalcy  surging door-to-door  on life support  shaken to the core  as a last resort…

 “Pushing to Fulfill” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Pushing to fulfill aggressive ambitions in the trillions as essential “rebuilding” lifting tackling hurdling overhauling  pitching deliberate choice  while grappling with nagging detail  like fandom for bad actors fasting  iconic branding in broadband podcasts  and hacker traffic all by staff  in the large format of “alas” …

 “Somewhere” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Somewhere re-entering unnerving emerging yearnings in between deeper meanings inhabiting bodies conjuring ardently outstretched arms …

 “Hampering” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Hampering gaining steam  ill-conceived silly  burgeoning pesky  foot-dragging history …

 “Cracked Columns”  by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Cracked columns crumbling concrete  rusted rebars and steel  distress fatigue failing epoxy  companion properties  cruxes of problems going on and on  donning hazmat Jack-in-the-box spare parts …

 “Sunlight Powers the Night” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Sunlight powers the night  punched in by air strikes  facing the open sky  laced with lightning  doused in moonshine ...

 “Anytime Soon?”  by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Anytime soon? ever-present threats  onslaughts of infections vaccine hesitancy  trivia questions at once unsettling  like protective trenches  filled with wrenching facial expressions ...

 “The New Velvet Rope” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  The new velvet rope  for post-Covid party goers etched in flexing cherry Jell-O ...

 “Hard to Be Heard” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Hard to be heard filled with uncertainty  accessing philanthropy  co-chairs trustees shaping strategies  trials in Mozambique  richest people pushing vaccines  via annual committees  getting peeks at gender equality  nearly collapsing ... 

 “Riddled” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Riddled with flaws violating laws refusing to accept loss  repeatedly resorting to going to court  constantly claiming fraud  ultimately banned for the long haul...

 “Reassessing the Indefinite” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán  Reassessing the indefinite  siting fomenting an insurrection  justifying suspension  due to violent potential among all continents  of historic enemies  put on edge ...