Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals

 a dozen of us with canes and walkers

visited the Rice Museum of rocks and minerals, awed by the cut and polished

surfaces of gray-brown lumps someone was curious enough to discover

contained layers, colors, streaks, blotches of exquisite beauty

red rock canyon

red rock canyon, nevada

 wild burro nibbling on scant gray-green

among unkempt cacti

in front of layered mountains, tumble-textured rises

and calico hills vibrant with orange, beige

gypsum white, scab-blood, iron red

grizzled brown, dotted green

and haunted by startling, deep-shadow black

 mj