Birds No Longer Sing in Our Spring

I left no letters or scarf

to warm your memories.

The end of golden came

on a burnt Thursday

of bitter words and mistrust.

We turned to shell, empty

vessels too cold to hold warmth,

and too angry to rebirth kindness.

©Susie Clevenger 2025

Shay's Word Garden Word List ~ My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

No Sugar or Honey

With my tattered zombie hands

I force my redundant to chase

a cursor that doesn’t care I’ve

complained my way through

another white page. 

The fruit of most days isn’t

plucked from a tree of success,

but the callous repetition

of what I won’t release.

Honesty is a bitch.

She doesn’t baby my feelings.

There’s no sugar in my ear,

or honey on the bread of

my confessions. 

In the rawness of an untouched Monday

I look into a mirror I can’t manipulate,

or fool with a rose-colored tactic my bitterness

can be erased with a  gentle air brush,

and wonder if I have enough

lipstick to paint a smile. 

©Susie Clevenger 2025

Sometimes you just 

have to work on yourself.

Welcome to my therapy. 

Shay's Word Garden Word List ~ Beautiful Bureaucrat

Melting Doesn't Need a Match

I wish I could imagine

sky filled the space

between his skull,

but that would insult

the window to the moon.

There is coldness in the weeds

that cover his tongue, tiny barbs

he hopes will leave scars.

He hates I never buy a ticket

to his Meme and Repeat, and

that I have a library card where

shelves of history books prove

he’s only a bit actor in a theater of rerun.

It is funny to see him stand naked

while screaming he’s wearing Armani.

Mute is more threat than answer.

The man just doesn’t understand 

I know where and how to use my words.

There’s no use in striking a match

when a snowflake is already melting. 

©Susie Clevenger 2025

Word Garden List ~ Shy Creatures