July 2008  

Volcano    ©    by    Linda Johnson
 

Inside the Earth, beneath the ground,
this stuff called magma can be found.

This magma stuff’s too hot to touch
it’s made of melted rocks and such.

This magma moves, it has to go
it must get out, it has to flow,

It flows into a great big cone
before you know the top is blown.

It spits out ashes rocks and crust
into the air a cloud of dust.

When it’s outside it then becomes
a lava flow and down it runs.

Once more it’s rock when it gets cold
this builds new earth on top of old.

Then dirt and seeds soon find their way
they plant themselves and there they stay.

It’s now new land, a forest grows,
still far beneath the magma flows.

Previously published in the North Carolina Poetry Society's
Pinesong: Awards 2008. Used with the poet's permission.
NOTICE: The copyright © for this poem belongs to the poet.