Poem: "The Jewels That Fall from the Sky"
This poem came out of the June 5, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from minor_architect. It was sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. The gem peridot really does appear in pallasites. You can also read about mafic rocks.
The Jewels That Fall from the Sky
Peridot grows in the ground,
gem-grade olivine of vivid green
found in mafic rocks such as basalt
and ultramafic rocks such as dunite,
crystallized out of the quickest lava.
Peridot also falls from the sky as
the hidden verdant heart of pallasite,
a stony metallic meteorite
with jewels embedded in
a nickel-iron matrix.
These brilliant baubles
have danced around the sun,
symbolizing patience and vitality,
at last touching down on Earth
as a reminder of unexpected treasures.