Besides Grazing

" Besides Grazing "

by Suzán Jiván

Besides grazing
with piggybacking cattle
each balancing
far too many people
simply
not going away
while prowling
on four legs
with a medicinal
reputation

wary
of change
shaded
by earthen
foundations
sustained
by multi-
graded
man-made
acres...

In the Old Days

" In the Old Days "

by Suzán Jiván

In the old days
under the noses
down the slopes
nurtured closely
in buffer zones

kept unchecked
inequitably implemented
becoming threatened
rearing their heads...

The Ayes of Life in Disguise

" The Ayes of Life in Disguise "

by Suzán Jiván

The ayes of life in disguise
like one-of-a-kind retirees
brought back to life
on powdery wings alighting
with knowledge realigned
in dual flight
as owl eyes by night...

Never Are There Stars

" Never Are There Stars "

by Suzán Jiván

Onto the sage flats
as a river trenches
a deep meander
across a chaos of rock

no place for the faint-hearted
with almost no marked arches
or national monuments
impenetrably dark
never are there stars...

Laboring to Keep Hidden

" Laboring to Keep Hidden "

by Suzán Jiván

Laboring to keep hidden
new critical editions
as shadowy histories
of diminished vision
illegibly written

while walking upright
with a museum guide
as the central part
of a strong argument

as cheerleaders cry
from the sidelines
being threatened by
mongrelized stereotypes...