THOUGHTS ON A ROCK

High on a Blue Ridge mountain side
with naught but skid trail for my guide
which must have been ,itself; quite old
as trees now stood there tall and bold

Matters not the time of year
but, in fact, winter was drawing near
with most leaves reclined upon the ground
where wind lent them a rustling sound

Then a stone of middling size
caught my gaze to my surprise
there among the leaves and duff
it, at first, looked bland and plain enough

I bent and picked it up to see
just what type that it might be
it wasn't quartz, not near that white
but, still and all, it was quite bright

I guess a frost had cleaved it clean
allowing composition to be seen
it was a sediment formed type rock
what it revealed was a mild shock

For fossil sea shells dwelt within
most were tiny, frail and thin
compact and set within hard sands
here in this oldest of high lands

I looked around and closed my eyes
and let my imagination rise
a million years, perhaps much more
since this was an ocean's salty shore

Then laying, not throwing, stone back down
a smile replaced my thoughtful frown
if this mountain top was once a sea
how unimportant I must be