THE ROCK

"I wish I could talk to animals and flowers and even rocks. I wonder what a rock would say?"

"Hey you up there, you're sitting on me."

"What, who said that?''

"Me, I'm right here under you."

"Oh my you're a rock."

"That's right and you're sitting on me, now will you please get up."

"Oh certainly. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Hey, wait a minute, I'm talking to a rock, I was just wishing I could talk to a rock."

" I know. I heard you ."

" You did."

" Yes, so I thought I would tell you and I wanted you to move so that the sun could shine on me."

"Do you get cold ?"

"Oh sure, sometimes I get so cold I crack; but thanks to the sun I can also experience the warmth, I love the feel of a hot day."

" What is it like to be a rock ?"

" Not bad, since life seems to change a lot so there's always a new experience to look forward to. Once in awhile someone will come along find me and pick me up, look me over , and if they really like me they will take me home with them."

"Do you like going home with people?"

" Oh yes I love to see new environments. Once I was placed in a clear container full of water and fish were swimming all around me. That was quite an experience; but then the fish died and I was thrown out into the gutter. I stayed there for a few weeks, then a big storm came in and rained for a week straight, and all the water washed me down the sewer into the ocean."

"Wow that must have been scary."

"No, life is not scary for rocks, we just get moved around alot. We are quite used to being moved around, it's always a mystery were we might end up next, which makes for an interesting life."

" Where did you go after you ended up in the ocean?''

"I was on the shore for a while until this dog came along and swallowed me."

" What, you were in a dog's stomach."

" Yes for about a week, but then the dog got sick and I came out. I stayed in the dog's yard for awhile, but then I got raked up with a bunch of leaves and thrown into the trash.''

" That must have been smelly."

" The smell was not bad, it was the darkness I didn't like. So I was sure happy when the trash bag tore and I fell out. I fell out in a park right next to a bench, all sorts of people would come sit on that bench. Not one person was the same, and that was when I learned what magnificent creatures humans were. Each human was different and I think that is what makes humans so special."

" Wow rock, I never knew a rock could say so much."

" Well now you do."

" Now tell me how you ended up here, out in the middle of the desert."

" Well this really nice lady picked me up when I was under the park bench and took me home with her. She had a rock collection and added me to it. One day she decided to take all her rocks to the desert. She took us out of her bag and placed us right here on this mound of dirt with beautiful cactus all around."

" Are you glad to be in the desert ."

" Oh sure it's nice and warm here."

" Would you like to come home with me?"

" Oh yes I thought you would never ask, you seem like a nice boy. I would love to see your home."

" Well, OK then let's go. You will be comfortable right here in my pocket."

Copyright © 1996, Dawn, Revised -- (24 Aug 96)