Friday 55 ~ December 2017

Hours 

3:00 a.m. stews me in its terrors

of sightless moon and breathing shadows.

In this hull of bones I pick my skull

trying to mine enough halcyon

to fairytale my eyelids into soundless sleep.

Hours hang from the ceiling fan in a dust mobile

teasing lullabies with sand.

Thanatos puts his ear to my chest.

                      &

“Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum” 

December’s moon sings a lullaby

to the childless, but anger roots in

tongues nursing words of resistance.

Autocracy spins the coffers will go dry

if patriots don’t produce a cradle roll

large enough to sustain the wealthy.

Love will not hive a womb with worker bees.

No rages against the icy call of twisted procreation.

©Susie Clevenger 2017

Friday 55 ~ Holiday Edition

New Age of The Robbin' Rich

Morning shrinks into headlines

black lettering another day

into the shrinking wallet woe.

Politicians sing their hallelujahs

into an empty cup and dream raped

millions gather stones for the reckoning.

Speech is free until the disagree…The constitution

crawls through the swamp of bloated purchased

crying foul, but red letters claim Jesus doesn’t like the print.

Merry demands its holy and Happy opens its arms.

Welcome to the New Age of The Robbin’ Rich and the foot army

of dime strained dreams… January dust pans its glitter.

©Susie Clevenger 2017

Real Toads ~ Writing Exercise

The Violent Bleak

Quicksand thugs my backbone with struggle

and I grieve October took you.

I can hold your voice in the palm

of my hand, raise a fist in rebellion,

rally against hell’s gate, but

fear brings a loaded weapon.

The Violent Bleak keep growing

an army of the demented.

Let me drink courage from your echo.

©Susie Clevenger 2017

Saying goodbye to Tom Petty was tough. I need an infusion of his grit to not back down.

Friday 55 ~ 12/1/17     &   Real Toads ~ A Skyflower Friday ~ Goodbye

First Knife Cut of Ritual

Memories sit at the head

of the table waiting for the

first knife cut to announce

the ritual has begun.

Never a family to worship fowl

they sacrifice appetite to traditional

and carve Thanksgiving into turkey leftovers.

Basted in what is expected they

mimic gratitude prayers, and internalize

their abhorrence of consuming

slivers of congealed cranberries.

©Susie Clevenger 2017

Friday 55 ~ Thanksgiving Edition

Claws on the Lock

You’ve put your Adam lock

on every door.

Placed that sign

“Admission is by Submission”

right in the middle of the back

of the line.

There’s a whole lot of female

sitting on those clock hands

you keep trying to tie an apron on.

Moving backwards is not forward.

Staying the same won’t progress.

For every bolt you place on a door

there are claws ready to pick the lock.

©Susie Clevenger 2017

I am very blessed to have a husband who has treated my daughters and I with respect, encouraged us to dream and walk our own truths. I am also blessed to have incredible males in my life who support and work for equality in all aspects of life. Many women don't have that support. I fear where we are standing and where we our heading in the United States. Silence is not an option.

Real Toads Weekend Mini-Challenge ~ Doors

Among Visions

November skeletons itself

into the pumpkin remains

of ghost walkers, and raises

its bare limbs to summon

thanksgiving from its cave

in the apple pie crumble.

Pens, poets, and prophets

kneel among visions searching

for candles that still have enough wick

to support a match strike of wisdom.

Spirits of resurrection cackle beneath thin ice.

©Susie Clevenger 2017

Friday 55 ~ November 17, 2017

Abusing

A drink won’t hurt

You might get a bit dizzy but

a drink won’t hurt.

Because you are such a bold flirt…..

I’ll pour enough to silence consent.

If tomorrow brings a lament,

a drink won’t hurt.

Abuse won’t end

until a woman wins freedom.

Abuse won’t end

because women have to defend

what they wear doesn’t equate whore.

With minds steeped in Jezebel lore

abuse won’t end.

©Susie Clevenger 2017

Real Toads ~ Fussy Little Forms ~ Rondolet