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!
February 7, 2015 at 8:06 PM
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.
February 7, 2015 at 8:07 PM
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
February 7, 2015 at 8:57 PM
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..
February 8, 2015 at 12:28 AM
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.
February 8, 2015 at 12:42 AM
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!
February 8, 2015 at 12:34 PM
Kenia Santos said…
Susan this is wonderful, my favorite response so far and I love your title, your point of view. <3
February 8, 2015 at 12:34 PM
Ella said…
The danger of war and what ifs-I love the line about wine~

A lusty offering proposed~
February 8, 2015 at 2:22 PM
Jazzbumpa said…
love is always dangerous
the only question is how much

i think you hit the apex

namaste
jzb
February 8, 2015 at 4:02 PM
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!
February 8, 2015 at 4:18 PM
Hannah said…
Again, for me, your closing just totally gels...leaves one feeling that the poem is perfectly complete. Well written, Susie!
February 8, 2015 at 6:35 PM
Sreeja said…
Last lines are so perfect....beautifully written...!!
February 9, 2015 at 8:04 AM
Grandmother Mary said…
I love your exploration of her words and the consequences that flow from choices...
February 9, 2015 at 8:59 AM
Margaret said…
Captivating from beginning to end. As thrilling as a best selling novel. Wow.
February 9, 2015 at 3:22 PM
humbird said…
'Tomorrow will make us enemies,
not by our choice, but flags that divide us.' ~ such profound line for me.
February 9, 2015 at 4:24 PM
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.
February 10, 2015 at 3:57 PM
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