Mineral names have such a wonderous sound,

whether found on the surface or deep underground.

When they join together in a common lot,

we decide then to call them rock.

Obsidian, pyrite, and placer gold,

let the mineral story now be told.

Tell of magma, lava, pumice, and tuff,

volcanic cinders, sulfur, and other stuff.

Turquoise, topaz, and tourmaline,

asbestos, mica, and serpentine.

Garnets are red and emeralds green,

so many kinds, what does it mean?

Metamorphic rocks, I love the change,

The minerals are pressured and rearrange.

Limestone to marble, shale changed to slate,

granite into gneiss, isn’t that great.

Muscovite white and black biotite,

are layers of mica that fit just right.

 Both make insulation for electricity,

and that fact alone just pleases me.

Never take for granite coarse pegmatite,

check the large grain size and call it right.

But if crystals are small and out of sight,

then we will give it the name, rhyolite.

Lignite, peat, bituminous, and anthracite

if given time and pressure they just might

become more than just forms of coal

a crystal of diamond might unfold.

Plentiful feldspar can be both pink and gray,

but just add water and time, it becomes clay.

So many mineral changes what can I say?

I'll just enjoy the form they are in today.

The quartzes are so many it is hard to tell,

but whatever form you see it’s still silica.

Amethyst, rose, smokey, and clear;

alpha and beta when pressure is near.

The gemstones, yes they are minerals too,

garnets, rubies, beryl, and sapphire blue.

Black opal, amber, and emeralds bright.

The agates, the jades, and blue azurite.

Now iron is found as red hematite,

  limonite, goethite, or black magnetite.

Common rock salt is just plain halite,

while silver is found in argentite.  

There is rutile, jasper, and dogtooth spar.

We have heard so many and come so far.

The gypsums, galena, and hornblende shist,

I think we’ve had enough of this!