“I’m Not a Basket Case”

 “I’m Not a Basket Case”

by Suzán Jiván Mom

& Mom-Mom Suzán 

“I’m not a basket case”

being bum rushed from the stage 

mad dashes dishes crashing 

downplaying insinuations 

senses of danger being whisked away

from an elevated dais diners ducking under tables

heavily armed security guards look unfazed 

seat mates looking pained well-dressed guests

awkwardly shuffle up escalators 

anxiously trying to find safely 

along with dazed fixed gazes…

“Sweeping Upheavals”

 “Sweeping Upheavals”

by Suzán Jiván Mom

& Mom-Mom Suzán 

Sweeping upheavals

relying on experience 

seen as merely fleeting feelings 

matter-of-factly hard to grasp 

half hidden by a hat depicted as actual 

in brush strokes and patches 

among particularly challenged 

old masters battling disenchantment…

“Just a Thought”

 “Just a Thought”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Just a thought in the wrong

erroneous false scammed 

“Well, I’ll be damned!”

“Damned if you do,

damned if you don’t!”

blasted unfair underhanded 

crafty wily as straight as a die…

“Not the Many”

 “Not the Many”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Not the many

of little help

suffering already

unresponsive

to budget requests 

mindlessly citing

firings underlying 

high anxiety

poorly realized 

cashiers standing idly…

“Flash Point”

 “Flash Point”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Flash point breaking point 

powder keg boiling point

hung up puzzled clutch

nonplussed stuck stumped

befuddled done …

“Sold Out!”

 “Sold Out!”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Sold out! Elbow-to-elbow

tricked misled two-timed

squealed on ratted out

finked on up to here …

“Ticked Off!”

 “Ticked Off!”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Ticked off! 

Overly dramatic

teed off 

cross annoyed

indignant miffed

pissed off livid

mad as a meat ax …

“Go Pfft!”

 “Go Pfft!”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán

Go pfft! all done all

gone no more kaputt …

“Nope”

 “Nope”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Nope “no way” nay nah naw

left out put down doing without 

passed over going unnoticed…

“Stoking Uncertainty”

 “Stoking Uncertainty”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Stoking uncertainty/proceeding with caution/

issuing strong warnings/cutting back orders/

getting dragged down/hearing pealing alarms/

ear-piercing fears ending up beating a retreat…

“Push Back”

 “Push Back”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Push back take a stand

impeach blast send packing

fire sack tactically pause 

all according to law in order to restore 

the historical balance of power…

“Break a Sweat”

 “Break a Sweat”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Break a sweat

lather flap panic 

angst alarm

sopping wet

drenched 

dunderheaded 

decumberbunded 

buttons undone …

“Betwixt and Between”

 “Betwixt and Between”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Betwixt and between

neither here nor there 

monkey in the middle

piggy in the middle 

pickle in a dish 

a thriller without thrills 

failing to deliver …

“Worn at the Edges”

 “Worn at the Edges”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Worn at the edges knackered sapped 

tuckered out tattered raggedy 

hackneyed old hat …

“Going Downhill”

 “Going Downhill”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Going downhill

stripped down 

as it just so happens 

obsessively listening 

to love-lorn ballads

not recognizing the self 

tending towards resentment 

expressed in expletives 

fretting lifelong lessons…

“There’s a Catch!”

 “There’s a Catch”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

There’s a catch! a snatch

a grab a rap a thwack

a bluff  Sucker! WISE UP! 

“Polishing Off”

 “Polishing Off”

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Polishing off rounding up stunning hushes

coming under over-heated discussions 

plumbing the gulf between the longest-running 

“Summers of Love” currently suffering 

from shortages of shade and green space 

in sweltering days due to prolonged heat waves…

“Called into Question”

 “Called into Question” 

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Called into question/objection/bones of contention 

lacking in confidence/sought out/looked up

checked out/fallen back/collapsed/strapped for cash…

“Modern Touches”

 “Modern Touches” 

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Modern touches/simple habits that may cause harm/like breaking silences and spreading lies/shooting down compromise for the picky people in our lives/gone viral/one wrapping at a time/like an orphans’s nightmarish guide/as shared by lifelong writings …

“Go Back and Forth, Say”

 “Go Back and Forth, Say” 

by Suzán Jiván Mom & Mom-Mom Suzán 

Go back and forth, say/come and go

to and fro/blow hot and cold

from pillar to post/quid pro quo/yes and no …