Petrify Poems

Allowing Myself to Petrify

I am in a stupor
a hypnotic daze
my feet no longer work
they have atrophied
soon my body will be a statue
completely petrified

I can blame no one but myself
my recliner is too comfy
If I told you how many hours I have been sitting
you would laugh, thinking it must be a joke
in deference to truth, I did waddle three times to bathroom
but I have been sitting here since 8 a.m. and it is 5:34 p.m.

I moved myself to the couch twice, thinking I would nap
My puppy jumped up out of a catatonic sleep and licked me both times
so here I sit, turning into a dead turnip next to my happy retriever puppy

What is Kneaded

Knead the mind with prayer and reflection
no need to bring in outside deflections.
What you need is already there...
God shined the synapses
lay gold leaf atop gray canyons
where the potential of miracles lie.
It will take at least a lifetime
to realize that petals of tranquility and truth
can survive the most vicious fire.

Deep in the briars of doubt 
within the muck of the mind
dust devil's like to tease
weaving petals to the lye.

Gather up the pristine petals pronto
before they wain-wither- petrify.
Make fantastic arrangements with God.
Be as a ruby throated hummingbird 
traversing crystal time-sipping the nectar of divine.
For what is Kneaded in prayer, becomes what is truly needed within your precious life.

Ready to be Swallowed

A giant road is emerging. My sandy path 
is ready to be swallowed. Gambol, amble, 

ramble, saunter, stride… My way knows
a variety of my gaits. This is a stamped 

path in my gene as an elephant corridor. 
It’s open for the rat snakes, mongooses,

cats, and men. When I lose my way, no 
one will come to me. The machine claws 

won’t shiver when they pluck my black 
plum tree on the wayside. My silence 

will be deluged by the motor cacophonies.
The hullabaloos will petrify the birds and  

my poetry. The tortoise lying on the grass 
with its head inside serenity is unaware of

the imminent doom. Already molded 
in loss, I can keep up my sangfroid.



First published in The Literary Hatchet (issue 30).
The first prize winning poem in the Poetry Nook Weekly Contest.

Petrified Lights

The Northern Lights petrify
Leaving stains of color to grated souls.
Foreign thorns entice the sky -
threshing what's left of flesh.
For a season deceiving remains,
jaded petals cover sinister views
~Yet~
Wilted and jagged with pigment stagnant -
Dark; blackened to average -
Decay begins from less fortunate sins.
Charisma lost while miracles fold -
Enigma strikes like pyrite gold -
Within life loss -
An aura with no glow.

Strumpa Strumpa Crumpetta Crumpetta

Cackles were heard from down under on a hill far away 
fifty little saucy spiders scurry helter skelter out to play
A hefty witch stirs her cauldron next to her Bagoon 
snake eyes spoon an evil mush as feet dance around the room 
Strumpa strumpa crumpetta crumpetta, stomps and rhythms yes they're dead 
The stars in heaven grow fangs and the moon wears a skirt of thorns 
chainsaw demons flee the sky with decapitated scorn
Oh my oh my Halloween frights are here, although the night is young 
old smelly garlic garlands have been strung,  
Strumpa strumpa crumpetta crumpetta, stomps and rhythms yes they're dead 
She's here to petrify, terrify, horrify and glorify her trade 
when they get here they will drink purple blue Kool-aid 
Oh Gee Oh Gosh she has lost her pompadour galosh 
perhaps its hiding in the pumpkin squash 
Strumpa strumpa crumpetta crumpetta, stomps and rhythms yes they're dead.

Petrified

I need my family, friends, community,
I need to live in a happy home,
‘Though I might seem hard and cold,
I am not made of stone.

For when I am mixing with others,
I’m in my, so-called, happy zone,
‘Though my own company is okay,
I am not made of stone.

I am very much alive you’ll find
And made of flesh and bone,
And not immune to loneliness,
I am not made of stone.

My biggest, biggest fear is
Of ending my final years all alone,
This thought petrifies me for -
I am not made of stone.

Before

All those movie characters
Crying in the shower
Definitely staged
But guess not
Short fits of panic
Fizzing in the steam
My lifelike dreams
Scare me
Waking up
Between dreams
To realize
You were never there to begin with
Never there for me,
When I needed you most
Yet the warmth, the smell
Felt so
Seemed so real
It’s a shame
Your words were somewhat of comfort
And there were bejeweled moments
That I treasured
But they’re all gone now
Can’t go back to what it was before
Those who break my heart
Thrice,
Fivefold,
They are done for
The fantasical school life
The fall festivals
All of my own concoction of
My subconscious
My past
Haunts me
This Halloween
My thoughts
Petrify me
Nostalgia mixed with
Bubbles of
What coulda, shoulda, woulda happened
I pause in my own thoughts
Falling
Are the role models
I’ve looked up to
Where are they now
There are no heroes
Everyone is human
And somehow that is
The most frightening
Somehow hope is lost
My anxiety
Creeping on me
And I am losing it
I am probably losing it
And I just wish to god
Things would
Get better

Stalagmite

Never have I felt the sun shine
Or heard blowing wind speak
Within this cavern I align
Frozen in stalactite confine
I dream drips of dew drops unique
Formed by the sun I seek

One of the countless stalagmite
Protect the cavern floor
Facing our northern brothers height
Waiting here unmoving, my plight
Made of their drops, solid to core
Yet I want to be more

Not to be still rock formation
Dependent of their scrap
To grow on in bright elation
Not in this darkest damnation
Not to feel like nature's mishap
To feel caught in a trap

I could be flora lush and green
Pure dew on fragile leaves
Only my wildest roots unseen
Branches with elements convene
Reaching for solar rays achieves
Reprieves by shadow thieves

I’ll wait for giving’s from above
Fall to our rounded tops
Our centuries of growth thereof
To petrify, not push or shove
Wishing this muddy water swaps
With fresh gleaming dew drops

Take a Chance and Live

Your goodliness and Godliness parades around in my head
and makes me scoff.
I used to be that way too but the devil came by with her enticing ways.
She had such a convincing spiel, I followed her gladly.
Understanding now that the sinner part of me is more fun than not.

Do you want to be stagnant? Stale? Left in the dirt?
An old maid or worse?
Your prissy ways and persnickety attitude
is going to cause you to petrify.
You will never experience the little death if you remain on this track.
Come play with me, hear the pipes? Frolic and dance; the time is ripe.

You deserve to live; eat from the fatted calf, drink some red wine.
Stop standing in the mirror of others, nurture your wanton side.
Lust and love, that’s all there is baby, and money and greed.
Let yourself have a taste of the life you crave, the good life.

They who pressure you into purity are jealous of your youth.
They want you to become moldy, green, yesterday’s bread.
Do not waste your talents, your hunger is vast
You are voluptuous, adventuresome. Taste some life my friend!
Let me help you by leading the way.....

Forsaken Love

Repentance I gain;
Defective heart within.
Opium to suppress the pain;
Palsy sets within.

Strangle my soul;
Timorous soul.
Imminent death, tomorrow,
Volatile soul.

Forsaken love,
Disintegrate.
Hell, up above
Gloomily, I generate.

Ripe soul, anew,
Obey the cry.
Steal affection knew.
Trek tirelessly, die.

Keeper of day
Leer not at night.
Outlive, you may.
Petrify, you might.

Maintain the majesty;
Appease your hunger.
Cleave to the clarity.
Yonder, there’s thunder.

Sumptuous clouds,
Relax, don’t cry.
Prowl out loud.
Shamefully die.

Coming Home

The sun will shine brighter tomorrow when 
you come into your own 
the trees will shade you better then 
when you take a walk with thee 

The moon will wait at your doorstep's array 
and help you recognise your light 
it will no longer petrify you, the night  
when you finally come home . 

June 21, 2018
for the poems of poems contest

Stone Rose

I remember those days when I'd pray it would rain
My heart then a vibrant flower in full bloom
I recall the drops hiding tears from unending pain
Trying to mask the scent of betrayal's perfume 

My heart then a vibrant flower in full bloom
She forgave freely without regard for her sanity 
Trying to mask the scent of betrayal's perfume 
Her petals slowly petrify surrounded by inanity 

She forgave freely without regard for her sanity 
Though that flower still holds her beautiful pose
Her petals slowly petrify surrounded by inanity 
They can no longer get to that perfect stone rose 

Though that flower still holds her beautiful pose
I recall the drops hiding tears from unending pain
They can no longer get to that perfect stone rose 
I remember those days when I'd pray it would rain


10/13/2016

Lattice of Oneness

Carved of one stone strong, you and I
In our texture same lattice lie
Oneness binds our grains together.
Eroding times' wrath can’t alter 
Twined heart's tie even if they try.

On our common strength we rely
People don't fail to wonder why
In diverse life stature we are
Made of one stone.

On us, time a river flows by
Souls shine, two minds fuse, petrify
On face of lithic still mirror
We see us made for each other.
For final sleep on bed we’ll lie 
Made of one stone.

Written : November 4, 2017.
Form : Rondeau. Syllable count : 8 each line except for 4 in last lines of stanzas 2,3.
March 23, 2020
Contest : Strand Choice O, Any Form, Any Theme
Sponsor : Brian Strand

Worlds Demise

Time ticks by there's no time to cry
You can only turn a blind eye
The world is ready to horrify
And I wont stick around to say goodbye
While I solidify
You try to justify these actions that terrify
It will petrify and mummify
They wont mystify or mollify
As you just stand there stultified
3/15/2017

Instead It Vies

All I am saying is you have to try
Not only will it help you get by
But truly indeed it will help you fly
Under a new earthly universal sky
You are the whole piece of the pie
Now, know when to go apply
This mathematical equation pi
Otherwise your brain will fry
Or it will just sit still here on standby
I am not trying to be this wise guy
Nor I am attempting to shanghai
I am just wanting to dignify
And I am wanting to beautify
They are the ones who falsify
The meaning of your third eye
Because they want to pacify
It’s your mind they want to occupy
With fear they try to petrify
So, I am here to declassify
And of course to testify
It’s you I want to exemplify
Yea, so I got the red eye
Though not like my mind’s eye
Which has definitely hit the bull’s eye
So you come and give it a vie
I bet you will scream banzai

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