Susan Daniels Poetry

by Noel Ihebuzor and Susan Daniels

there are arms we lay down
& others we hold open

there are tongues we must still
and others we loose;
the barbed tongue that howls like a howitzer
we have to leash and rein in

there are arms we must raise
arms raised to embrace, to rejoice.
there are arms to down
arms clenched, crest fists in tsunami rage,
or balance hands
that shape silos tilted skyward, curved metal calculated
and conducted to maximum strikes,
singing death in mournful tunes

against such,
let us loose the tongue that coos
softer than the dove,
sweeter as beautiful rays splashed
on the wide bosom of a waking beach

i would plot the curve of a cheek, rested
on my shoulder, lay down
what holds us at arm’s length
and instead open–
a gesture with a bell’s resonance

that tongue whose voice melodiously flutters
under a blue sky,
let her reign,
let her caress and conquer
the hardness of our guns and melt our swords

these arms, these hands
could pull needles from softened metal
that was swords
and use these tongues to tell it–

let us close the gaping wounds
on the face of the earth
caused by the savage rage
of raw us clawing at things we never can ever own
let it begin, this stitching together
of something torn

***Noel (regular typeface) and I (italicized) decided to blend our efforts for the Dverse prompt today, which involves truce or armistice.  As always, this was so much fun to craft with Noel–a wonderful, inspiring co-creator and friend!