The Back Shelf

by Dizzy Daze

Petrological Poetry

I think
That I
Shall never see
A poem
As lovely as a
Rock.
Though clocks may
Tick
and clocks may
Tock,
I shall always
Prefer my
Rocks.

---

"Sedimentary"

Sedimentary rocks.
They're brittle.
Brown.
Boring.

They have a story.
They used to be big,
But things kept wearing on them
Grating them.
Eroding them.

The rain washed them
Away from their troubles.
They hid underground,
Waiting.
And waiting.

And waiting.

Nothing to do.
Nopony to see.
Nothing to think about
Except what they had left behind.
What they had dragged down with them.

Years of loneliness.
Years of pressure and dirt.
They hardened to the world,
First with a shell,
Then with their hearts.

---

"Igneous"

Magma.
A rock's beginning,
Fiery with heat and
Passion.

It runs its course.
Oozing down hills,
Spilling over towns.
Destruction.

It runs and slides
Until it forgets its purpose.
Forgets why it's angry.
Confused.

It pales;
Its orange color fades,
Leaving it
Alone.

Cold.

Gray.

It's fragile,
Oh, so fragile.
But shiny
And beautiful

And calm.

---

"Metamorphic"

Rocks are hard.
Rocks are big.
Rocks are strong.

Ponies think rocks are permanent.
A rock is a rock is a rock.
"A rock cannot change."

Do they know that nothing's permanent?
Rocks change, the same as ponies:
With time.

But change isn't always bad.
Marble comes after limestone,
Stronger and more beautiful.

Change can be a gneiss thing, too.

---

"Worldly Words"

Rocks are everywhere.
The ground.
The cliffs.
The oceans.
Rocks can be as big as a boulder
Or as small as Boulder.
Minuscule grains of sand
Or tall, looming mountains.

We owe so much to rocks.
Our houses.
Our heat.
Our jewels.
Other ponies think rocks are boring.
Rocks are my world.
They're everypony's world.
Literally.

---

"Rock"

I've heard of rock music.
Have you?
It sounds like it's music made for rocks.

But it's not.

It sounds calm and quiet.
A steady beat.
Maybe with lots of drums.

I listened to rock yesterday.

It didn't sound like rocks.

It sounded loud.
Crazy.

Did I mention loud?

It felt like rock
Was banging rocks around
Inside my head.
I don't want rocks in my head.
Not real rocks, at least.
And not rock.

I like rocks.
I don't like rock.