“The Toppling” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“The Toppling”

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

The toppling
of monuments
signaling shifts
in history as symbols
of social turbulence
spray painted defaced
warehouse remains ...

“Utterly Ordinary” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Utterly Ordinary”

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Utterly ordinary
escalated force
by law enforcement
all according to protocol
launched without warning
claiming to have given
clear, detailed dispersal orders
during stand offs
disputing semantics
normalizing the “gaslighting”
of canisters, grenades
shells and sprays ...

“New Threats” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“New Threats”

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

New threats
re-openings
suspended
dreaded questions
urgent lessons
positive tests
for ineptness
by “dead-enders”
with a vengeance
seeking re-election
demanding our attention
versus
keeping to ourselves...

“In the Context of Temperature Checks”

“In the Context of Temperature Checks”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

In the context of temperature checks
setting records across Sun Belts
in their highest case numbers yet
over erratic measures of records of deaths
hitting landmark levels
losing one’s grip on pandemics
pointing guns at foreheads ...

“Answerable to Nobody” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Answerable to Nobody”

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Answerable to nobody
within long-running conglomerates
in large part mixed martial arts
of emerging solvent stars
entering an octagon skyrocket
of restarted economies
pandemic or not dying on your watch...

“ Sounding Increasingly Detached “ by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“ Sounding Increasingly Detached “

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Sounding increasingly detached
careening off track
scratched (out), as a crossword answer
synonymous with, “sad”in the abstract
devised by social labs that just won’t last
asking, “Why are you laughing?”
in search of key words perhaps
secluded in a mountain cabin nonreactive ...

“Altered Landscapes” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Altered Landscapes”

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Altered landscapes
smaller classes
procured face masks
budgets slashed
schedules staggered
frequently washed hands
overwhelmed health care
vaccines unavailable
chatter returning to schools
teachers changing rooms
students cocooning ...

“Energizing Rallying Cries”

“Energizing Rallying Cries”

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Energizing rallying cries
walking mercurial blue lines
inquiring, “Why is murder not a hate crime?”
military veterans dying via a virus
citizens feeling occupied
struggling families standing on long food lines
risking lethal infection
protesters facing increasing positive tests ...

“Outbreak” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Outbreak”

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Outbreak
heartache
in the wake
pepper balls
flash-bangs’
divisive candidates
subterranean quakes
pervasive hatred
mass incarceration
forsaking blame
militarized nation
laying waste
democracy hanging ...

“Coalescing Peaceful Protests” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Coalescing Peaceful Protests”

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Coalescing peaceful protests
due to officer-involved deaths
as well as disparities
exposed by the pandemic
asking agonizing questions
regarding micro aggressions
like diminished respect
and masked fears of infection
in search of greater reliances
on mutual human kindness ...

“Unmistakably Painted in Brilliant Yellow Letters” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Unmistakably Painted
in Brilliant Yellow Letters”

by Suzán Jivan Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Unmistakably painted
in brilliant yellow letters,
“Black Lives Matter”
in front of The People’s House
as falling jobless rates imperil aid
for ‘A Glorious Poetic Rage’
in the wake of countless declarations:
“Black Lives must not be lost in vain”
urging collective demonstrations
culminating in life-affirming global grace ...

“Protests Stretching” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Protests Stretching”

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Protests stretching
into the confluence
of a pandemic
and civil unrest
“Keep your knee off our necks!”
chasms laid bare
traumatic anti-blackness
weaponized whiteness
dehumanizing lives
love requires great sacrifice
this is NOT what “serving
and protecting looks like”
as citizens peacefully march
along head-spinning lines
witnessing militarizing
of The White House”
in the meanwhile...

“Withering” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Withering”

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Withering
in plain sight
lethal Corona viruses
scribbled signs
temperatures spiking
unrecognizable
tear-gased eyes
weeping in mourning,
“Of thee I sing” ...

“Inside the Scramble” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Inside the Scramble”

by Suzán Jiván
Mom & Mom-
Mom Suzán

Inside
the scramble
daily spreads
of mayhem
protests arrests
states of unrest
certainty absent
violence ebbing
yet sizzling
with tension
chain-link
fences erected
on the edge
of rising infections
unquelled
widespread deaths
of millions expected ...

“Flash-Bang Grenade Desecration” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Flash-Bang Grenade Desecration”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Flash-bang grenade desecration:POTUS did NOT pray!
assaulting peaceful demonstrators
in order to viscously win battleground states
thriving on chaos failings within the ranks
unable to disengage from compulsively
shooting fuzzy dice coming up, “snake eyes” ...
 

“Sheltering in Place Suddenly Giving Way” by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

“Sheltering in Place Suddenly Giving Way”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Sheltering in place suddenly giving way
to massive demonstrations
being subjected noxious pepper spray
as protesters expel infectious droplets
and propel water bottles
repeatedly crying, “I can’t breath - take a knee” ...