Lambs to the Slaughter
©2024 Susan Noyes Anderson
Image by Getty Images via Unsplash
Is everyone here filled with dread,
or am I the exception?
These people seem too tranquil for
Oncology reception.
General-Literary Poems
Posting these literary poems where people can enjoy them pleases me. Even poems that have landed in books, magazines, or anthologies will find a wider audience here, while poems used to the quiet solitude of my desk drawer will get to see the light of day and meet readers like you! (Art fans: Look for literary poems inspired by the work of well-known photographers and painters.) Please request permission by email, including full copyright information on each copy made. For internet use, a link back to this website is required.
FINDING THE POEM YOU WANT: As you scroll through this section, simply read each snippet sample (usually the first four lines) to get a feel for the poem. When you find something you like, click “CONTINUE READING” to view the entire poem.
Chemo: A Walk into the Jungle
©2024 Susan Noyes Anderson
AI generated image
It’s good, sometimes, to recognize
your fear and give it space,
to realize what’s eating you
so you can give it grace –
to walk into the jungle’s lair
with eyes wide open, knowing
that crocs and cobras watch and wait,
while jaguar eyes are glowing.
The Jig Is Up
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
Reverse Shot – A Touch of Evil
The jig is up; yer nuttin’ but
a stinkin’, snitchin’ lug.
Ya think I’m headin’ to da joint
cuz you can’t shut yer mug?
Out of Sorts
©2023 Susan Noyes Anderson
repentand-seekchristjesus on Unsplash
I think my skin is on backwards
or maybe inside-out.
It feels too tight; it feels too loose.
It makes me wanna shout.
Warm Socks and Golden Years
©2022 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by freestocks on unsplash
Warm sock, you’re not…nor yet
a fuzzy slipper, but still you
found a zipper on my heart.
Grace and Gravity: Message from Mary
©2015 Susan Noyes Anderson
Nouvelle Lune, ©2011 Soasig Chamaillard
believe me, I adapt
carry me with you
then and now I bring
some substance
to the ins and outs
of living
Arise and Umbrellize
©2014 Susan Noyes Anderson
Image by Kagan Bastimar on Pexels
Umbrellas offer solid proof
that weather’s not in vain.
Surely, a drop of rain
deserves a bit of notice.
The Clown Speaks
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
Marc Chagall – Head of a Clown
If I should wake up and be free
of all the people watching me
and say goodbye to tightrope walking,
big top, and calliope––
then would I search the silence deep,
embrace the parts of me that sleep,
let go of cotton candy dreams,
and hold to truth that I can keep.