Hitchhiking in Pursuit

" Hitchhiking in Pursuit "

by Suzán Jiván

Hitchhiking in pursuit
of a homegrown
art movement
with a trail view
of industrial plants
and tanneries
while taking liberties
in gob-smacking scenery

preserved pictorially
elegantly tapering
not far away
as a sign explained
in a painting
on distant vistas
wriggling up river
toward a waterfront pavilion
still hugging a cliff...

Letting the Rhythm Come to Her

" Letting the Rhythm Come to Her "

by Suzán Jiván

Letting the rhythm
come to her
on the cusp
of a build up
as accompaniment
to scribbles on a bill
while scuttering
across the kitchen
and finding a niche
lacking in ambition

as a stream
of consciousness
vital and vivid
satisfying and original
as slapdash depictions
of the violently killed
in parodies
of poverty-stricken
visceral trump tricks
with comfortable margins
of 86 imps...

Change is Constant

" Change is Constant "

by Suzán Jiván

Change is constant crashing the party
while still evolving new jazz harmonies
and playing eagerly year-by-year
after spackling the pristine
white teeth of malevolent families

abandoned in a subsequent crash
like unblinking cameras
of skeletal houses with famine animals
in front and in back of smoky glass
grisly theatrical as pairs of dancers
long been synapsed by contrarians

still fit for a prince seeming to flit
with a ridiculous spit polished
nubby nuance while closing the concert
with devoted followers
suffixed with, "cigar"

in its history as a sitcom
with workshops on tobacco farms
like sidebars for a Ponzi Schemes
while driving hard bargains
for the most popular genres
from any row or column

outlined by a box
of popular mythology
at times like a little odd
comical robot cracked on top
spewing clouds of dialogue
"smoking or non"...

A Perfect Replica

" A Perfect Replica "

by Suzán Jiván

A perfect replica
suddenly gone queasy
during a lifelong sleep
while breathing deeply
with a cuddly species
of squishy credibility

accessing ancestral memories
as blended genetic chemistry
unconsciously affected
by descendants' health

like savants of recollection
rewiring themselves
without question
in red leather ledgers
swirled with white letters
of inherited forgetting...

Holding Steadfast

" Holding Steadfast "

by Suzán Jiván

Holding steadfast
when threatened
by monetary weapons
of hedge fund investors
and chief executives
as asterisks
to targetted markets

preoccupied by sex
but little else
as serial molesters
push up against
excelling in excess
with low overhead
and self-correcting
pocket protectors...

By Looking In

" By Looking In "

by Suzán Jiván

By looking in
and sipping
the minimum
within minutes

as if by accident
with a blunt sadness
hovering around the fountain
in a thrillingly powerful packed house

perilously alone
downing a whiskey and soda
while hoisting a skull-and-bones
in stop motion...

Sunday Night Drops Us

" Sunday Night Drops Us "

by Suzán Jiván

Sunday night drops us
as a lot to watch
washed up
in intermittent intervals
like diaries reprinted
then told in pictures
within a bottled city

looming largely
as more orthodox exemplars
fed up with bowing
at irregular hours
in traditional galleries
of "when", "where" and "how"
being downsized
by backdrops and backgrounds

fantastic as captions
for far-fetched distant descendants'
attempts at self-expression
gridded against accompanying texts
of the expressionless declared, "dead"
at the registry of unheard
of "howevers" from family members
labeled with small lettering...

Through the Park One Muddy

" Through the Park One Muddy "

by Suzán Jiván

Through the park one muddy
hard not to be reminded
of a remotely exciting
metal-halide haze

fully appreciated
along wooden pathways
navigated by ingrained
weathered planks...

Return is Diminishing

" Return is Diminishing "

by Suzán Jiván

Return is diminishing
with increasing scrutiny
known for a belated throw
in the latest disclosure
while going incognito as moles
with supposed previous notions

mostly indie-ish while flirting
with the fine print
contingent upon rigidity
by grappling with the slippery
mastery of mass-media prodigies
worked out exactly
as ironclad accolades with stature...

The Inner Solar System

" The Inner Solar System "

by Suzán Jiván

The inner solar system
within proximity
to temporary rings
varying, detangling
beacons sweeping
at warp speed
doomed to extinguishment
by coronal streamers

as megadunes loom
increasingly unsuitable
habitats for humans
as proof of huge
granular pillows
pricked with drip systems
scoured by gritted winds
and silted by diverted rivers
where fish used to swim

reduced to a trickle
difficult to calculate
undoubtedly replaced
by the newest data
of original names
from previous
generations

operating with free reign
on opposing banks
powered by hand cranks
as staples of the sacred

without realizing the secrets
of decoding machines
raised in eras
of prominent ideas
becoming clearer
by required readings
being brought to the brink

heavily erased and penciled in
in mid river where the air is thick
with the cost of doing business
by rubbing sticks
side-splittingly inflicted as seen fit...

Hairsprings and Shock Absorbers

" Hairsprings and Shock Absorbers "

by Suzán Jiván

Hairsprings and shock absorbers
from bobcats to boars
while drinking black coffee
in the low light of mourning

after swilling white wine
on prior nights
despite life's strife
with the plight of rhinos
in proximity tonight

becoming grounded in science
synchronized like high sea pirates
with one tough timepiece
seen as a mastodon mystery
packed with gadgets as planned...

Celebrate the Impending

" Celebrate the Impending "

by Suzán Jiván

Celebrate the impending
eccentricities
after guaranteeing clarity
by thinking
about marriages of the past

regularly visited
as long-winded
individuals
seeking brevity

like self-serving and self-preserving
shipwrecked
manservants dutifully practicing
witchcraft
with the alacrity of the supernatural...

Beyond Wherever

" Beyond Wherever "

by Suzán Jiván

Beyond wherever
she may have started
in a nonet
with a more-or-less
jazz sense

without question
as a synthesis of selves
each of whom
gets a hand or two

through the cumulative
unblocking ace-queen of hearts
while ruffing a club
and going down one

as declarers drew trumps
by leading in the dummy
covered with red rust...

Taken at Face Value

" Taken at Face Value "

by Suzán Jiván

Taken at face value
supermodels
then and now
prefixed with lateral
aphrodisiacs
on moon landings
come upside down

as opposites attract
like an ecofriendly
letter after sigma
left wanting to feel
without being stingy
smitten instantly...

Asymmetrical and Syncopated

" Asymmetrical and Syncopated "

by Suzán Jiván

Asymmetrical and syncopated
emoted at center stage
as a libretto in falsetto
first to enter lifted on pedestals
for what was then a surrender
to the monumental

dotted with placards
of class activists
in a mash up with captions
on embroidered maps
infiltrated by the past
as stitched patches
of the charismatic by accident...

Check Local Listings

" Check Local Listings "

by Suzán Jiván

Check local listings
initially clashing
in the upper crust
competing in single sculls
low slung and ahead of others
with differing results
like required triumph
achieved glumly
under a bare bulb...

Psychological Imperatives

" Psychological Imperatives "

by Suzán Jiván

Psychological imperatives
set amid boxwood hedges
in no particular order
for the self-important
or the self-absorbed

with varied intents
deeply entrenched
while making breakfast
with a growing sense
of ineffable neglect
instead of affection
without consequence

ugly and flawed by fraud
undercut and ignored
against a once friendly wall
crammed into the story
by talking forthrightly...

Psychological Imperatives

" Psychological Imperatives "

by Suzán Jiván

Psychological imperatives
set amid boxwood hedges
in no particular order
for the self-important
or self-absorbed

with varied intents
deeply entrenched
while making breakfast
with a growing sense
of ineffable neglect
instead of affection
without consequence

ugly and flawed by fraud
undercut and ignored
against a once-friendly wall
crammed into the story
by talking forthrightly...

Psychological Imperatives

" Psychological Imperatives "

by Suzán Jiván

Psychological imperatives
set amid boxwood hedges
in no particular order
for the self-important
or the self-absorbed

with varied intents
deeply entrenched
while making breakfast
with a growing sense
of ineffable neglect
instead of affection
without consequence

ugly and flawed by fraud
undercut and ignored
against a once-friendly wall
crammed into the story
by talking forthrightly...

Psychological Imperatives

" Psychological Imperatives "

by Suzán Jiván

Psychological imperatives
set amid boxwood hedges
in no particular order
for the self-important
of the self-absorbed

with varied intents
deeply entrenched
while making breakfast
with a growing sense
of ineffable neglect
instead of affection
without consequence

ugly and flawed by fraud
undercut and ignored
against a once friendly wall
crammed into the story
by talking forthrightly...

Economies Haiku

" Economies Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

Just as easily
former model and beauty
tasting luxury

Remarkably stringed
streets and legislative seats
frayed economies

Comic creations
screechy vocalizations
living gilded age

Landing gracefully
leaning over pianos
classical and jazz

Cast a rueful glance
navigating passages
seeking help elsewhere

Copyright issues
with permission to woo her
shadowy and dim

All of a sudden
showily sensational
vocal arrangements

Interior scenes
not precisely a remake
been baited and switched

A long history
remarkably sensitive
simply depicted...

Slipped in Between

" Slipped in Between "

by Suzán Jiván

Slipped in between
by going to seed
with grafitti
requiring
long pants
and sleeves

preternaturally speaking
in ruinous iconography
as selected objects
from the subconscious
free of dirt and pollen...

Keeping It

" Keeping It "

by Suzán Jiván

Keeping it
almost like stealing
over seasons
with pleasing
pianistic curiosities

complete with dreamy
choreography
in multimedia
based completely
on minorities

performed by companies
of colleagues as seemingly
illegal activities like piloting
piracy by committee

with dramatic timing
in melodic lines
taking climactic flight
by taking in
two recitals each night...

Fade Defying

" Fade Defying "

by Suzán Jiván

Fade defying
built-in shine
for the undying
fittingly
at this time

like a bold-faced lie
designed
to be as brilliantly
starry eyed
as fine-cut diamonds

second only
to the wise
in mint leaves combined
with reams
of fragrant thyme...

Sometimes Means

" Sometimes Means "

by Suzán Jiván

Sometimes means
fighting fatigue
per liter
while binding
to iron
otherwise

diagnosed
by notions
of survival
resulting
in a lifetime
of feeling like
a small fry
in the mean time....

Firelight and Gaslight

" Firelight and Gaslight "

by Suzán Jiván

Firelight and gaslight
perfectly placed
under pitch pines
after a tram ride
with a blinding psychic
in a flight of fancy
suddenly becoming pithy
without making much of a fuss
seeping out of a tough
thoroughly studied stunning...

Getting a Remake

" Getting a Remake "

by Suzán Jiván

Getting a remake
that goes without saying
seemingly taking pains
to demonstrate spontaneity
with clean lines of legs
texturally lightweight
and highly unlikely
to stop on a dime
as in pastimes
at double-time
while fireworks ignite...

The Choreography is Problematic

" The Choreography is Problematic "

by Suzán Jiván

The choreography is problematic
when crossing to mount
expanding categories
in fabric patterns
after looking for gaps
formed to the point
of exhaustion
as small drawings shown off
like never before
having been crossed
where nature left off...

The Bleating of Sheep

" The Bleating of Sheep "

by Suzán Jiván

The bleating of sheep
lacking teeth
like the weak
beneath sheets
as secretive creatures

getting smeared
on hind feet
early in spring
with milky secretions

over a mile from water
in the advent
of thunderstorms
like reluctant jumpers
flushed from cover
during habitat destruction

camouflaged by colors
when crawling under
lush shrubs of summer
spending warm months
in clumps growing plump...

A Mere Scrape

" A Mere Scrape "

by Suzán Jiván

A mere scrape
on an open plain
loud donkey-like brays
both parents incubate

bright yellow or white gape
courtship whinny
long narrow wings
remaining at sea

feeding on squid
and cuttlefish
thin white
central stripes

open oceans
Namibia east
to Mozambique
four forward toes

connected by webbing
swimming well
with white feathers
washed in pink and yellow

lake to lake
at mid-day
silver grey
captured prey

boobies, gannets
coast to mouth
rasping, "warra-warra"
scampering, airborne

appearing scaled
seaweed reedbed
blue bead eye ring
coastal and marine

jumping clear
before diving
white rump
visible in flight...

Uses Artificial Nest Boxes

" Uses Artificial Nest Boxes "

by Suzán Jiván

Uses artificial
nest boxes
mobbed
by small birds
descending
"teeuu"
tree holes
in Morocco
false eyed

near rocky
rusty dark
spots
with orange
light sleepers
early nights
yellow eyed

nightjars
rufous collared
Mount Kilimanjaro
quavering whistle
plentiful litter
keen eyed

non-forested
monotonous
spot a beetle
dart from a tree
sharp eyed...

From that Angle

" From that Angle "

by Suzán Jiván

From that angle
barely visible
in detail
unsleeping
motionless
shoulder
and arm
raised
like a stylized
take
akin to a chain
gang
kept at bay
never
translated
into higher
stakes
of helpless
anger
faded away
unreplicated
at a matinee...

An Alternative Route

" An Alternative Route "

by Suzán Jiván

An alternative route
calling for approval
after a coup
under a new constitution

being kept at arm's length
with cries of, " Shame! "
to all couch potatoes
kicking sand in your face
during at-home vacations

as barriers to NATO
in role play
like admiring ladies
with calls to clap or laugh
overt and eagerly answered
while begging for a hand

accelerating and decelerating
as sneakers squeak
and cockatoos crests droop
heralding the entrance
of someone who never enters

tied together as a genuine duet
quite literally tongue-in-cheek
as a joke with some teeth...

A Thrilling Turn

" A Thrilling Turn "

by Suzán Jiván

A thrilling turn
for better or worse
molecular dimensions
provinces of a Nobel
as roles in health
munificent one minute
stingy the next
crunching the numbers
from the summit
up and down
side to side
forward and back...

Yields in Steps

" Yields in Steps "

by Suzán Jiván

Yields in steps
under increased pressure
leaving huge questions
sensing skepticism
with nodding bobble heads

showing potential
at deeper levels
undoing benefits
in essence
curbing spending

upheld to the utmost extent
being withheld by tender
supplication
with more troupers
than mourners
in due course

often as performers
of eternal disappointments
then and before
as raw metaphors
perpetually kept on pause

blackballed
by the latest offerings
being stopped short
united in song
after gorging on hourlong
point and counterpoint...

Bold and Submissive Haiku

" Bold and Submissive Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Replaced by commands
new lines in a triangle
voices speeding up

II

Bold and submissive
bouncing breasts and genitals
dogmatic leaders

III

Rampant prejudice
itinerant, complicit
as trick horses prance

IV

Manic distractions
with arms held behind their backs
stop, sit down, then stand

V

Tepidly acted
main attractions as slapstick
others abandoned...

Staid Haiku

" Staid Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Slow unravelings
revisited and revised
staid identities

II

Returned to sender
slyly magnetic presence
ambiguous quest

III

Strictly lyrical
wandering diffidently
malleable dreams

IV

Curiosities
adaptive meanderings
redeemed novelties...

What-ifs Haiku

" What-ifs Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Pondering what-ifs
conspiracy theories fly
like shaggy grab bags

II

Beasts roam as dancers
amiable companions
donning black ascots

III

Every crackly note
like stepping through a worm hole
gently dizzy tones

IV

Still front and center
relics of psychedelic
tricked-out-black-box gigs...

Underwritten

" Underwritten "

by Suzán Jiván

On horseback
in a photograph
almost by accident
being fraught with significance
underwritten as an ultimate figure
regarded like a deity
when coming across as a cool cookie
supremely at ease
in innumerable recipes
replete with calligraphy inimitably...

Unusual Trappings

" Unusual Trappings "

by Suzán Jiván

Unusual trappings
in materials about
becoming sold-out
after attracting droves
of fans while still in mid air

brilliantly intricate
among the indie
as hardly been
like once-fixed
predilection
for a fetish
or a shtick

seemingly highly unlikely
to redefine delight
as the little-known triumph
of an undisguised psyche...

After the Tumult Haiku

" After the Tumult Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Ablaze with color
shaken, but calmed by nature
succinct revelry

II

Dusty blade of grass
repeated references
eye-opening glance

III

Most intimately
as a kind of centering
depicted close-up

IV

After the tumult
regaining concentration
slowly re-focused

V

Seemingly tossed-off
intricate analysis
rip-snorting match-up

VI

Uncoverable
nicknamed de facto leader
keep moving the chains...

Lifting the Brows

" Lifting the Brows "

by Suzán Jiván

Lifting the brows
in avoidance of color
with little shimmerings
while sloping downward
into the outer corners

after pupils
and away from the rim
just blush, as I did
by starting high
on the cheekbones

below smoky eyes
just a dab of brightness
as a highlight
rubbed off slightly
unbecomingly neutralized...

Assuming the Rolls

" Assuming the Rolls "

by Suzán Jiván

Assuming the rolls
of most live shows
as spoken in components
while listening to poets
being installed too close
to foam in camping mode
becoming plussed
by skilled mathematicians
in fleeting synthses
with mythic deliriums
scribbled in many ilks
consisting of amoebic flotillas
moving at warp speed
through aqueous mediums...

Brought to Mind

" Brought to Mind "

by Suzán Jiván

Bits of cardboard
building blocks of meaning
reining herself in while being
brought to mind by dismissives
like, " There's no way in hell! "
in connective corridors of oeuvres
with punctuation marks
and found fonts as objects...

Sold-Out High Profiles

" Sold-Out High Profiles "

by Suzán Jiván

Sold-out high profiles
highly organized
but under capitalized
being blown away
by sweet spots
in the square feet
of pre-history

impacting visits
to exhibitions
while still in previews
like musicals
suspended in midair
as selections of final casts
postponed and highest grossing...

In Pursuit Haiku

" In Pursuit Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

In pursuit of sleuths
detected in profusion
deft poetic texts

II

Electronic muse
effusively exuding
page views round the world

III

Well-meshed internets
self-portraits, self-expression
reeled in readily...

Stonefly Haiku

" Stonefly Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Sounds against the ground
crawling on stones, undertows
fully grown, folded

II

Well-known, wings open
double-ladder vein pattern
salmon-pink, angling...

Damselfly Haiku

" Damselfly Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Relatively large
narrowing gradually
becoming unstalked

II

Altogether small
suitable prey, sit and wait
becoming outstretched

III

Hunts from some distance
with metallic colorings
blue-green with dark wings

IV

Broad-winged demoiselle
pale, yellow-brown wings at rest
slender abdomen...

Raccoon Haiku

" Raccoon Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Taxonomic name
Virginia Algonquian words
" Procyon lotor "

II

" Before dog ", " washer "
wash and dunk food in water
called, " coons " by humans

III

Alternating rings
black-banded, long bushy tail
mask-like cheeks and eyes

IV

Catching small, quick fish
barking, hissing, "churr-churr", scream
wailing tremolo

V

Consuming wild fruits
animal foods include shrews
crayfish, snakes, snakes' eggs

VI

Aquatic dabble
dextrous digits, long sharp claws
nocturnal forage

VII

Short forays by day
flat-footed walk, normal gait
thick vegetation

VIII

Hairless soles of paws
strong swimmer, agile climber
peak before midnight...

Wood-Warbler Haiku

" Wood-Warbler Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Sport a yellow crown
black face markings, chestnut streaks
hopping branch to branch

II

Blackberry tangles
strips of cedar, grapevine bark
catch prey in midair

III

A new nest on top
endangering high winds blow
along streams wetlands

IV

Heading south again
wintering in Mexico
tending to shun rain

V

Bubbling streams nearby
requiring nonstop flights
crane flies spiders web

VI

Bulky hidden cup
rhododendron, laurel bush
redstarts, lady bugs

VII

Saplings, tree-lined streets
black-throated blue northern tier
early observers

VIII

High-pitched, heading South
hovering among green leaves
getting hard to see

IX

Flitter, teeter, tip
Ground feeding, taking beetles
eating in treetops

X

Increasing volume
rushing brooks, waterthrushes
comforting tussocks...