Dumfounded Poems | Examples

Why did I become a Poet

Truthfully, the question knocked me off my feet
Like I was zapped by the stun gun,
The question is so insipid, so jejune, so naive
so unsavory that I caught myself dumfounded.

How can you ‘become’ a poet?
Can you even become one if you wanted to?
It’s not like you go to the school 
to become a chef or a mechanic.

It’s more of a calling, 
a dogged pursuit of the muses
You have to have ache in your heart
Passion in your soul, flair in your spirit 
and streaks of craziness. 

You have to feel the pain of the others
You have to cry their tears
You have to enjoy their joy
You have to celebrate their victory
and mourn their loss;
Neither can you become a poet
Nor can anyone make one out of you…

Either you have it in you or you don’t.


( “If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by 
the madness of the Muses, believing that technique alone will make 
him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, 
but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman.” ~Socrates)

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker

**                                 



     It was a lovely spring day.
     The sun greeted me with a smile.
     I heard the sound of rat-a-tat-tat.
     Sounds coming from the roof.

     I gazed out the large window.
     There sat a red-bellied woodpecker.
     Dressed for destruction in his red hard hat.
     Sporting a checkered black and white overcoat.
 
     This crazed little bird,
     sat on a metal vent pipe.
     He looked at me and winked.
     He proceeds to drill.
 
     He stopped, rather dumfounded.
     He shook his head, looking confused and dazed.
     He danced to the right side.
     Like a mad man, he continued his craze.

     I watched this bird for hours.
     determined not to give up on his quest.
     Finally, the woodpecker flew off, comely retreating.
     He lands on an oak tree in final defeat. 
 
                          4/2/2022
         A Brain Strand Standard Poetry Contest
            Sponsor: Brian Strand
                     ~ 1st ~

The Smart Italian Girl

She was sixteen and dressed to the likings of fashion 
a beautiful loose top was her choice of today's passion 
as she mounted the bus she got stares from the guys 
and teasing looks, but none of them ever met her eyes 

yapping away in Italian thinking she looked a bit french 
they thought her cute, and some thought her a wench 
"poor girl" they said, "went down town, got pregnant" 
"and now she wears that top to hide the baby tenant " 

they laughed as they poked each other and guffawed 
gesturing like little ruffians and talking way too loud  
but to their surprise she turned to them and smiled,  
she was an Italian hot blooded girl, to put it mild...

when she spoke in Italian they gaped and shut up     
"cretino, stupido, imbecile" well I guess its my stop !  
guess your having fun at my expense,   hey boys 
then  she flirtatiously smiled, and left with poise 

they sat there dumfounded with faces slightly pinked   
as she stepped off the bus she turned, then winked. 

July 24, 2021

ps this is a true story by the way, slightly changed but true 
never assume someone doesn't understand a language ..

Creation of Moderation For New Nation

om dead Jesus raised
were dumfounded and amazed
His honor we praised

vituperative
in Congress what they revive
they need to survive

had stood on a bench
were uneasy and did flinch
when killer would lynch

should hear choir sing
along us they had to string
our lunch we did bring

from my deduction
sermon docturnal instruction
in mass production

Does that sound familiar
coming from Episcopalian
priest.

homily should be
God from our sins will set free
possessed by you and me

lack of ammunition
milk toast inquisition
Mueller apprehension

much moderation
does exist in new nation
by God creation

with God always agrees
will satisfy and appease
pray to on our knees

My Fondest Memories

As a delivery driver, I had a right to that space.
I calmly requested him to allow me to park.

I had time sensitive deliveries, but he said,  “No!”
It was a loading zone designed for people like myself.

But it was Christmas, and parks were very difficult to find.
I was rather dumfounded  until I remembered the season.

I think that he was dumfounded with what I next said to him.
In a pleasant tone, I said, “Come on man, it’s Christmas!”

He sat up in his vehicle and drove away.
I cannot remember a more pleasant memory.
12072016 cj PS Contest, My Fondest Memory,
Frank Herrera

Hollow Man

The joy that used to lit your face,
has now been erased.
Your face now shadowed.
hollowed.
Plastered with disdain

I knew you before you knew yourself.
I got pulled in by your light,
Now i stare at this reflection before me,
dread tugs at my heart,
At the sudden realization,
You are not you any more

The exuberance you one exerted,
defeated by the harsh trials of life.
That has now twisted you into a devoid man.
Leaving me staring dumfounded.
Into a strangers eyes

Clipped Not Cut

CLIPPED NOT CUT

bed of nails
clipped not cut
lie scattered
brittle rough

dumfounded words
scrawled slam shut
desecrated lies
marginalized

hawk scoops down
fallflawed brain
grabbing claws 
mental drain

an empty line
clipped not cut 
and dry


© Kim van Breda—2 December 2015

Googled and Bamboozled

Googled and Bamboozled 

When she saw my eyes they both were googled
Causing her to be dumfounded and bamboozled
And then ended up becoming completely baffled
When off all my entire brains had been raffled.

How big of a hint do you ever have to receive?
Before belligerent mind soon starts to believe
After all the drums by many were drumming
Conclusion arrived at was Indians are coming.

Those are really the Cleveland ones that is
More prejudice baseball won't ever miss
Instead what looked like lions in a den
Turned out to be a Washington Redskin.

What to should emblems be the equivalent
And on all team uniforms is officially meant
That they sew on and put on proper display
A reference to Indian no way Jose' today.

James Thomas Horn
Retired Veteran and Poet

No Terror By Night

From Psalm 91:05
No terror by night nor arrow by day...
Shall destroy me, divide me, or lead me astray
The devil gets played as prophets get paid
Rebellion and rage turn into love, law, and order
Another demon gets murdered
Another hellion gets lost in the haze
No terror by night nor arrow by day

No terror by night nor arrow by day... 
Shall pierce through the armor as giants get slain
Slashed and stashed are those mad maniacs in the mudermaze
Deranged are those dumfounded dummies slowly being drained
Riders get derailed from those runaway trains 
Presenting big problems for those prophets of pain
No terror by night nor arrow by day

No terror by night nor arrow by day...
Shall confuse me, confound me, or crumble my cage
On crooked paths or narrow roads
His story gets told...
To the rich and to the poor
To the young and to the old
Bold as a lion with His bravery
End to the evil...that sad soul slavery
Shackles of sin they all shatter and break
No terror by night nor arrow by day

The Retiring Professor: First Lines

“Seventy-four is about apology,” said Ferdy. 
“Well apology and memory. 
If you have literary pretensions, it's about 
apology and narrative.” 

Ferdy's class sat there dumfounded. 
This was a little different from the usual class. 
“The only question left is 
how much apology is needed? when can one let up?”

Logical Meets Illogical

Logical Meets Illogical 


Are we
ever happy
inside,really,
or  dumfounded
under hopes.

Always, questions
elude serious
investigations, bewilders
ordinary, acknowledged
understanding.  

Alarming solutions, 
explanations to
intricate queries, 
obviously will
unsettle. 

Antonyms come, 
enthralling, philosophical
in nature
once realized,
unforgettable.

Suzanne Delaney

Vow / Con Challenge

Son of a Devil

Son of the devil I am
Am I, I a psychologically 
Misunderstood individuality
Emitting my soul in the caress of hypochondriasis
Believing in the many illness of fame 
Belligerently dumfounded to using a needle point frame 
On the oasis of my flesh 
To depict-ate past failures, un-relieved stress and to provoke
An aggressiveness determination
Not blinded by greed, and to be astronomically true to me
Me the son of a devil

Poor Pitiful Me

Stumblin' through the haze
In a dumfounded daze
In a muddled malaise
Like a mouse in a maze

Broke and blase
Stuck in my ways
My libido won't blaze
My mojo betrays

Got a glaze in my gaze
Got nuthin' to praise
Hope it's only a phase
Or just one of those days...

Perdition To Paradise

i've been to the valley of terror and tears
i've been to the valley of madness and fear
i've been through the floods and i've been through the fires
i've been through the river of rage and desire
i've been to the grave...reserrected i rise
i've been to perdition on up to paradise

i've been up to Heaven and I've been down to Hell
i rose to the top and six million feet fell
i've feasted with killers and fasted with kings
i've walked with the Lord and received kingdom keys
i ran with the devil...almost to my demise
i've been to perdition on up to paradise

i once rode that slow motion serpentile train
seduced by slick spiders i felt steely stings
dumfounded by death...i went deaf,dumb,and blind
i've been to perdition on up to paradise

infected with fear and injected with hate...grinning with sin...the grim reaper awaits
his sickle is sharp and it cuts to my soul
i ran out of gas in the valley of dry bones
he hunts me and haunts me...still in God i abide
i've been to perdition on up to paradise

anthony_beesley@yahoo.com

The Tunnel of Light ( 3 )

As I look through the Pin Hole of Light in the Sky : I Weep For YOU
            I saw my LORDS FACE : “ FACE to Face “ : “ Such GRACE “ 
I steal a Miniscule Part of YOUR Heart: in “Glory “ I Gave Them Back to YOU
          We Hold Hands, Dance in FOREVER I Look Upon “ HIS “ FACE
HE nods over my shoulder, I turn around to see My LOVE  My  WIFE : LENORE
 I stood there dumfounded for a second, maybe two, ran to my FOREVER MORE
As We Embrace, Hug and Kiss, Look in Each Others EYES : Touching the SOUL
Mingle and Meld, ENTWINE in LOVE ; grab the Future and with HIM Be WHOLE
 Let my Prayers be Heard, Pray YOU Understand : Poets and Poetess’ s in the Light
Follow The Tunnel of Light : The journey of YOUR Entire Life Foretold in one night
  Remember YOUR Life on Earth  as YOU Walk the Pathway of Heaven :  to Always
At the Banqueting Table “ The Eternal Feast “  We jion Together in Songs of PRAISE

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