that damned, dirty ape (apologies to Pierre Boulle): a rant

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

some people think they’re cute
& some are,
but not this one
with long yellow teeth
& nonstop howling
for attention

yes, the monkey on your back
I thought was gone forever
is playing with & popping ideas
like fat fleas in its constant finger-combing
of thought, removing all
that does not serve its appetite

I am no zookeeper
and will not feed & nurture
something this wild
something this self-serving
something that will not think twice
about shitting in the house
& turning on its keepers

please put your animal
in a cage, or kill it
before its prehensile tail
strangles you
& it devours our children

I will even hand you the gun
as the rest of us
run from you & your
enemy that tells you
it is your best friend,

leaving you
& the monkey
to shred each other
to pieces.

Posted in addiction, New Free Verse | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

right (more stones)

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

we should not throw truths
at each other like stones
aimed to hurt,
or scar forever;

use the knives
our tongues can become
to hamstring each other

yes, words can join
& they can build
a bridge between us

or we can use them
to vivisect
this live thing that was us

until it at last breaks free
from all the cutting
& finds a quiet, wordless place
to finally finish bleeding

Posted in New Free Verse, relationships | Tagged , | 6 Comments

how to fall

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

Our waterfall (movie by Zoe)

I have learned
the ease & acceptance
of water

how it flows where other matter
will resist & fracture
on impact;
its downhill shift to fit the earth
a sighing expression
of its true nature

as it dances with gravity
with pressured grace
that always yields

& brings forth beauty.

 

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , | 10 Comments

why we love

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

because I and you

melt & diffuse
into an us

of limitless joy;

your you & my I
ourselves blend
& abandon
all other possible we(s).

Posted in New Free Verse | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

If I throw stones

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

If I throw stones
they will not be at you
as I am not without sin
in this

& we are already
so practiced
in the best ways
to hurt each other

why invent new ones?

But perhaps
together
we can use these stones

placed so temptingly
within reach

to step across
the thing that divides us;
a vast, muddy river,

an Amazon of old pain
that will surely
swallow us in its thick currents

if we try
to ford it alone.

Posted in New Free Verse, relationships | Tagged , | 18 Comments

Beautiful Blogger Award

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

Wow, Rhonda at Help Me Rhonda has nominated me for this awesome award.  From what I understand, I am to thank her–and THANK YOU, Rhonda, for thinking of me for this award.  One visit and you will be hooked on her poetry, photography, and extremely funny commentary.

If you seven nominees choose to accept this award…copy and paste the award icon to your blogs, provide a link to the one that nominated you (hello), then nominate seven you would like to recognize, and let them know you have nominated them.

Here is my list of nominations, and why:

The Crunk Feminist Collective for their mixed bag of commentary–love it!

Jill of All Trades–Expert of None for her humor and commentary.

The Sand Country for Jeremy’s gorgeous poetry, beautiful photography, and reflective commentary.

Hot Dogs and Marmalade for Sally’s homespun reflections on life and family, and some poetry thrown into the mix, too!

Random Synaptic Activity because Christopher Brown’s poetry is worth the trip 🙂

TOROS for George Ellington’s poetry

Hope you guys accept, as more people need to fall in love with your work, as I have!

Noel Ihebuzor asked me not to nominate him, as he is still learning the ropes on here (heck, me too–this is the first award I have not run screaming away from), but please, please, please go check out his magical, powerful writing here.

Posted in New Free Verse | 8 Comments

if you could drain my spirit

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

if you could drink my qi
to revive your own
which sun, time
& your own brand of bitterness
have sucked to dry sticks

I am sure you would.
You have taken
everything else.

Even now, you wax & I wane
in this pattern I call using me up
& you still call loving each other.

Posted in New Free Verse, relationships | Tagged , | 12 Comments