The Grand Canyon

I had heard
Intriguing tales,
Ever since
I was a child,
About the mightiest
Of all canyons,
But nothing
Prepared me
For the experience
Of standing
On its southern rim
And gazing down
Into its depths.
I was awestruck
By its sheer size
And vibrant beauty.
The canyon walls
Were painted
In rich earthy tones
Of brown,
Burgundy, yellow
Orange, black,
Blue, tan, purple
And white
Emphasizing the varied
Rock strata,
Folds and crevices.
Each colorful
Layer of rock
Represents
Vast periods
Of geologic time.
A billion years
Of accumulated
Sediments lay exposed,
And far below,
Barely visible
To the naked eye,
The relentless sawing
Of the Colorado River
Continued unabated.
I vowed
To someday return
And explore
That canyon,
To seek out
Its remotest recesses,
To ride
The mules down,
To see the it
From every vantage point,
To tour it
By helicopter,
To camp overnight
Deep inside its bowels,
And most of all,
To raft through it
On the Colorado.