Tomorrow Will Make Us Enemies

You are there in the barely knowing,
handsome, seductive, intoxicating.

Never is a word I had faith in,
my vow to protect myself from surrender,
but your lips have stolen it from me.

Love doesn’t reach your hand upon my breast
or the flush that stains me a vivid pink.
I don’t want it. I don’t need it.

I don’t even know your name.
You are a bottle of wine and lust
to drown in, a mistake I won’t grieve.

I wonder if I am wise to awaken the forgotten
places on my body I had sent into exile.

War is crawling closer on steel claws.
Tomorrow will make us enemies,
not by our choice, but flags that divide us.

Tonight is not giving a damn, not asking questions.
I will take from you. You will take from me.
We will scar. We will remember more than we’ll forget.

©Susie Clevenger 2015

"I ask if I'm wise when I awaken the danger between his thighs"
 Declaration of love by Carilda Olivar Labra
             
Real Toads Sunday Mini-Challenge ~ Carilda Olivar Labra


Comments

Maude Lynn said…
I LOVE that last stanza!
Anonymous said…
Ha--I love the inspiration for this poem--and your poem jumps off from it skillfully--and it is not so easy to forego consequence--you make all of that clear, Susie. Thanks. k.
Scarlet said…
War is crawling closer on steel claws ~ Title and last stanza are gritty & filled with tension ~ Whew, thanks for bringing her words to life Susie ~

Have a good & safe trip ~ Thanks for participating ~

Grace
brudberg said…
The love or lust like with the foreboding of tomorrow - really like how it progressed from lovers to enemies. Very inspired and strong words..
Kerry O'Connor said…
I love the angle you explored in this poem, the sometime enemies turned lovers with all the destruction and creation that implies. It makes for excellent poetry.
Sherry Blue Sky said…
What a fantastic write - the danger, the risk. I love "I wonder if I am wise to awaken the forgotten places on my body I had sent into exile." Oh, I know!
Kenia Santos said…
Susan this is wonderful, my favorite response so far and I love your title, your point of view. <3
Ella said…
The danger of war and what ifs-I love the line about wine~

A lusty offering proposed~
Jazzbumpa said…
love is always dangerous
the only question is how much

i think you hit the apex

namaste
jzb
C.C. said…
Susie, if this is the result of a rushed effort, then rushing your effort works for you! WOW! This is breathtaking. That second stanza is stunning...'Never' is a word his lips have stolen. Brilliant. The idea of exiling places on your body and then awakening them back out of exile, albeit with hesitation. Stellar writing!
Hannah said…
Again, for me, your closing just totally gels...leaves one feeling that the poem is perfectly complete. Well written, Susie!
Sreeja said…
Last lines are so perfect....beautifully written...!!
I love your exploration of her words and the consequences that flow from choices...
Margaret said…
Captivating from beginning to end. As thrilling as a best selling novel. Wow.
humbird said…
'Tomorrow will make us enemies,
not by our choice, but flags that divide us.' ~ such profound line for me.
Jennifer Wagner said…
So many things in this poem struck me. "Never is a word I had faith in, my vow to protect myself from surrender, but your lips have stolen it from me." And stanzas 5 and 6, especially. Wow, wow, wow Susie! "We will scar." Yes, we will. Masterfully crafted stuff.