A Gradual Wearing Away of Stone

windswept, she speaks languages of stone
from deep mountain valleys rimmed with stone.

red dust covers cracked thirsty earth as
thin boys seek water in crumbling stone.

sun swings high then low, it touches down
making shadows and circles with stone.

hopi prophecy tells of an end
when illusions will ride rivers of stone.

soon grandmother will feed hungry men
with a hearty broth thickened by stones.

as sleep hits heavy eyes we will dream
of dark tunnels and chambers made of stone.

moon, remind us of our ancestors
who shake the ground with heartbeats of stone.

aching blue glaciers thaw into dust
carving ashen sinews in white limestone.

a sickening crack of breaking bone
and from the core rises molten stone.

constant floods of muddy water transform
jagged rocks into smooth river stones.

snakes shift sideways to reveal her eyes
and with a piercing gaze you become stone.

caged by labyrinths of serpentine brick
dwell secrets entombed in vaults of stone.

ear to the ground I listen for signs
quietly rumbling like a landslide of stone.