Those Rocks Everywhere

From tiny pebbles to enormous boulders,
A finite array of sunny, windswept, and frozen rocks
Jut out and continuously criss-cross our landscape.

These weather-beaten, partially-eroded specimens
May dot a pristine, yet barren desert
Or stretch out across vast acres of tree-lined wilderness,
Serving as homely repositories
For Earth's gamely hunters and prey.

In civilized communities,
Where geometrically carved out and smoothed,
They might form a pedestrian-friendly walkway
Or some formidable wall or otherwise restrictive barrier.

Yet, their true, defining purpose -
And their rationale for a solid, and perhaps, stately being -
Is to shield creatures from the planet's core,
Allowing its multitude of inhabitants
A mighty leg to stand on,
And to proactively traverse space
In that timely excursion
Known as life...