Susan Shea

Silent Movie

An invisible film flaps between us
distracting us so we can’t keep
looking each other in the eye

it comes from old secrets

the ones that make us blame
each other surprise each other

with red fear that doesn’t fit the
way the day can be going

good is not enough to taste
what’s on the plate we see
right in front of us

so we find a way to throw
our fresh greens on the floor

making us clean up new mess
together tricking us into believing we
have picked up all the trash
disposed of it once and for all

while the can’t-see film keeps
hiding all those scenes
that can’t wait to jump into our arms
make us want to hug ourselves

.

Susan Shea is a retired school psychologist who was born in New York City, and now lives in Pennsylvania. She has returned to writing poetry in 2023, and this year she has been published in several dozen journals including Ekstasis, The Bluebird Word, Last Stanza Poetry Journal, The Bookends Review, Poetry Breakfast, Book of Matches Literary Magazine, and The Agape Review, as well as three anthologies. Recently, she has had poems accepted for Feminine Collective, Military Experience and the Arts, Tiny Wren, Crowstep Poetry Journal, Green Ink Poetry, The Avalon Literary Review, and Clayjar Review.

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