Sunday, February 11, 2018

Sleepless In America



The moon stares at me through my window
in blinks of wind branch and silhouetted leaves.
Sleep hides beneath the covers and far from my pillow.

Why do questions stalk peace as thieves
well trained to invade as soon as my head
screams for the mind numb only slumber relieves?

I walk the hours of sun fighting off the dread
of a world drunk on building tribes to squander freedom
on divisive rants of rewind, repeat, the lies must be fed.

In the wrinkling of my nest I curse an apple eaten,
Genesis ink knowledge is evil, inquiry needs suppression.
Morning sings rebellion, but night moans beaten.

Mother Moon, please speak, give me direction
on how I can sleep when compassion is pilloried on tongues of aggression.

 ©Susie Clevenger 2018




9 comments:

  1. I adore that opening line ... and I "feel" the pacing back and forth in the night, the mind that won't shut down...

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  2. Mrs. Jim has a pill that she uses. She sleeps about six hours on it (strait). Nice to think about, but even if you did find a solution I think you'd have problems getting someone to try it.
    You did good on the form and the rhyme and enjoyed the writing, I'm sure.
    ..

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  3. The division in society is so deep today... generations, race and religion... I see all the fear around me... love the slanted rhymes you have used.

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  4. Agreed - America needs a good soak in moon-madness to shake our screaming addiction. Such remedies are usually erred into and not willed. Buckle up.

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  5. 'how I can sleep when compassion is pilloried on tongues of aggression'.. there is such raw emotion in this, Susie!

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  6. Inquiry needs suppression. Ugh, ugh.

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  7. "I walk the hours of sun fighting off the dread" It is so disheartening to constantly hear 'tongues of aggression' and all the division. We are not meant to go back or stay the same. Let's hope this storm finally births blues skies forall.

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  8. Each stanza delivers a power-house of forthright statements, but the final couplet has the thrust of a death blow. Magnificent.

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