The Seam of the World

Polly came down from a low grey sky and found a country that looked brand new. There were no soft green hills, only black rock, bright moss, and thin lines of steam rising from the ground, as if the earth was breathing. Her red head, green body, and small round glasses were the most colourful things for kilometres. This was Iceland.

The whole island is here by accident, a happy one. Iceland sits on top of a giant crack in the floor of the ocean. Here, two of the great plates that carry the world are slowly pulling apart. The island also sits over a hot spot, where heat rises from deep inside the planet. Fire below, cold sea around. That is the secret of this place.

Polly flew to a long valley where you can see the crack. It is a deep green canyon with tall rock walls. One wall belongs to North America. The other wall belongs to Europe. Polly hopped from one side to the other and crossed between two continents in one afternoon. The gap grows a little wider every year.

By evening the steam turned soft pink. Long ago, people met in this valley to make their laws. Polly found a mossy ledge and rested. She listened to the ground settle below her. Here, the land is never quite finished.