And, where could we go,
Just what was there to see?
Why, miles and miles of miles,
And then…more miles…yes, siree!

Now, I’m exaggerating…because,
Around each bend…was something new;
Many things to be discovered,
And, surprises…quite a few!

Just about the time…we think,
We think we’ve seen it all;
Something quite unexpected shows up,
Yes, something we never before…could recall.

Well, today I was in for a surprise,
And, it happened at the creek;
Something strange was in the water,
I bent over…to take a peek.

In the shallow water…close to the shore,
An unusual rock did protrude;
There was something on it…like a shell,
And to this…I’d like to allude.

I took the rock…to the shore,
To get a better look;
What appeared to be many shells,
Shells all over it…like those I’d seen in books.

Could this really be A FOSSIL,
For, I’d never seen a real one…before;
Well, it sure did look like one,
Now, this wasn’t something I could ignore!

Wondering if there were any others,
Back…into the creek I went;
To solve this great mystery,
On this…my mind was bent!

Farther down the creek…another,
This one had no shells…but ferns;
I’d sure discovered a real treasure,
The kind for which…many had yearned.

So excited…I became,
My heart was pounding…wildly;
I must show my discovery to someone,
I ran home…and that’s putting it mildly!

On the wings of excitement,
I could not walk…but rather…flew;
When a teenager finds a treasure,
Just what else could they do?!

Word of my ‘find’…spread quickly,
From my house…then, all over town;
It was broadcast on the radio and TV,
My!…how the word got around!

“Boy finds rare fossils,
“In the hills of Tennessee;
“Ocean shell and ferns…now extinct,
“This land must have been under the sea.”

Paleontologists came to inquire,
And, they soon had themselves a ‘dig’;
Yes, indeed…quite the findings,
Oh, yes…it was very big!

Not everything has been discovered,
There are still many things…out there;
You might just discover something new,
Maybe not A FOSSIL…but something else that’s rare!

********

June 21, 2004

Aimee Love
(LHG)