Iron, is fabulous,
its properties marvellous.
A gift from earth to human kind,
with the rise of nations aligned.

Iron in ores is usually of oxidic nature,
magnetite, hematite, limonite but seldom pure.
Sulfides such as pyrite and pyrrhotite,
or simple from outer space as meteroite.

It is a special element in many aspects,
its synthesis is linked to fusion effects.
It is the most heavy element forged in suns,
in those, where so called silicon burning runs.

Every element heavier than iron,
the fusion energy is none.
It would need energy to fuse them,
they get to existence from supa novas now and then.

From this matter of fact,
and the iron synthtesis act.
It is no wonder that iron is not too rare,
on place nine of the most common iron is listed there.

Almost, but in fact not exactly everywhere to find,
some ores are less easy to unwind.
Gaining iron from an ore,
or in principal a meteore.

Is done in a blast furnace device,
like a high tower they rise.
Today you use purified coal,
a mix of iron and carbon is the goal.

The melting point decreases,
and finally the ore, the iron releases.
If hot enough the oxides get reduced,
for that carbon monoxide is used.

Impurities form a slag on the surface,
the liquid iron does a downhill race.
In a second step the carbon is burnt with oxygen,
the iron is almost pure by then.

Pure iron is very soft but ductile,
only if you bend it too often its getting fragile.
The technology to melt iron changed humanity,
the iron age is gone for an eternity.

Around a thousand years before Christ,
the Hettitians this technology sufficed,
In the Mesopotamian landscape,
civilisations found a new fate.

Pure iron is ferromagnetic,
so its white areas are athletic,
It is a self attracting material,
which is, for some applications, fundamental.

In modern technology often used as a soft magnet,
the use of powder metallurgy you would not regret.
But the maximum power of iron is steel,
this is fundamental and real.

Steel is alloyed iron,
which has a funny tone,
sometimes tiny amounts are enough,
to make iron hard or tough.

Carbon is the most important there of all,
nickel, chrome, indeed play a role,
silicon, molybdenum, and manganese,
you certainly not seldom use one of these.

But already the iron carbon system is magnificient,
for material design an outstanding fundament.
For tools, weapons, magnets, transportation,
steel has probably infinite application.

But you need to know how you treat your steel,
how to cool and to anneal,
a relationship of understanding leads to success,
ignorance, like with the titanic, to a mess.

Not only in the material world iron is a big deal,
humans could not live without it for real,
It is a central piece of our blood cells,
muscle fibres and bone shells,

if too low you are tired all the time,
too much and you blood turns to slime,
An immanent element, a base of life,
but lets give this a deeper dive.

Iron has a symbolic power as well,
an iron heart means brave as hell,
an iron will is nearly unbroken,
the iron cross, a military token.

Iron is as special as we are,
from antique swords to sculptures most bizarre,
inside us and in the world around,
even from space, clear and sound,

I admire iron, i love its chemistry,
so much flexibility,
so fundamental in modern times,
and no word which iron properly rhymes.